Mayor of Gotham
by Psychoblue
Summary: In order to combat a plot by Hush to take over the city via politics, Bruce Wayne announces his bid for Gotham City's mayor. But as his popularity grows, will Batman become an afterthought in Bruce's campaign?
1. Chapter 1

"No."

As a owner of Wayne Enterprises, Bruce Wayne had grown rather accustomed to saying that word. On an almost daily basis, he would be presented with possible deals that would greatly affect the direction his company took, and many times he would refuse them seeing that it was a direction that Wayne Enterprises did not need to take. Many of those times, it was because the company that was making the offer was involved in one of the many, many organized crime rings that Gotham City housed. Having lost his parents to the rampant crime rate of the city, Bruce made sure to do plenty of research on those companies that made him offers, even those that had obvious benefits. He was rarely disappointed with what he found out.

And on this evening, Bruce Wayne was once again saying no to an offer, though this offer wasn't involving Wayne Enterprises. This offer involved something more directly involved with how Gotham City was run.

"Come on, Bruce," the portly man that Bruce knew as Roger Buffet, one of the many corrupt politicians that allowed the mobs to do as they pleased in the City and someone that Bruce had done years worth of research on hoping to find enough dirt to put him behind bars. Blissfully unaware of Bruce's efforts to rob him of the power he so wantonly abused, the slightly hungover Buffet put an arm around Bruce's broad shoulder and pulled him close. "I know we haven't seen eye-to-eye on a lot of things, but I really wish you'd consider it. I think you'd make a fine mayor."

Fighting the urge to gag in the grip of the hands in what had to have shaken hands with thousands of murderers and thieves, Bruce Wayne replied with the same cool-tempered smile he had put on many times before when dealing with unsavory individuals, at least in that particular setting. "My work at Wayne Enterprises and the Wayne Foundation keep me from pursuing politics, and I think the people of Gotham would have difficulty accepting me as mayor."

"Oh, don't be *hic* foolish," Buffet sputtered back as the smell of wine reeked from his breath, causing Bruce to recoil slightly as the smell reached his nostrils. A part of him worried that Buffet was so drunk that he would vomit over his suit that Alfred personally picked for the event, but at least it would give him the excuse to leave the party and go back to patrolling the streets of Gotham as the city's defender Batman. As Bruce Wayne, he was severely limited by what he could and couldn't do to men like Buffet, but as the Batman was allowed the freedom to use more effective methods of telling his kind to get lost.

After taking a deep breath, Buffet continued, "Now, I might be a little bit drunk, but I still have enough of my wits about me to recognize a good man when I see one." With his bald head shining in the lights of the ballroom, as if he were having a visual epiphany, Buffet pulled aside one of the guests and pointed at Bruce. "Young lady, wouldn't you say that Bruce Wayne would make a fine mayor? He's one of Gotham's finest and most well-known citizens! Imagine how much better this city would be if he was running things!"

"You mean he'll charm the city the same way he charms women, and then throw it away when he's had his fun?" The woman with pale skin and dark hair replied with a look of disdain of her own, even though Bruce couldn't remember the woman's name or his relation to her. Shooting a nasty glare at Bruce, the woman turned away and scoffed. "Tch! Yeah, Bruce Wayne the philandering billionaire playboy is exactly what this city DOESN'T need..."

The drunk Buffet returned the woman's glance with an angry look of his own before turning back to Bruce and quickly putting on his best phony smile, though Bruce wasn't convinced that Buffet's smile was sincere. "...well, I guess some people need a little bit more convincing to see the picture that I am seeing," he said with his smile widening before clumsily reaching into his coat pocket and pulling out a card. "Bruce, I want you to spend an evening thinking about my offer. Call me in the morning and I will make all of the arrangements with the people at City Hall for you to run."

"I will consider it, but don't hold your breath waiting for my answer," Bruce said politely as he took the card from Buffet's hand and put it in his pocket.

Watching the satisfied Buffet turn around and stumble over to the aptly-named buffet table, Bruce looked at the card once more before putting it in his own coat pocket and roam around the ballroom. Despite Buffet's intoxicated state, the reason for this event was far more noble than the elite socialites of Gotham flaunting their wealth. Rather, it was a charity ball being held by Bruce's Wayne Foundation to help support the charitable efforts of the group in preventing at-risk children and teenagers. Gotham City, perhaps more than any other city in the country, was the most suspectible to young people falling in rank with the many, many gangs and crime rings that the city had to offer. Even though his alter-ego Batman cleaned up the streets of Gotham at night, it was through the Wayne Foundation that Bruce made efforts to keep the streets from becoming dirty again.

There would always be crime in Gotham City as long as free will existed, but at the very least, Bruce Wayne and Batman could do their best to make sure that the generation that comes after them do not have to suffer from the stifling corruption that plagued the city almost since its inception.

_More importantly, having so many of Gotham's "Finest" citizens gives me a chance to look for vital intel that can help me lock up those who made their money by poisioning the city, _Bruce mused as he made his way through the crowd of guests that had packed Wayne Manor and towards the kitchen. Turning his head to see a large man with thinning white hair talking to a pair of younger men who were likely ignorant to the intense corruption that permeated from him behind closed doors. _At these charity balls, I have access to men like Rupert Thorne over there, one of Batman's most troublesome foes. Even if it's just for an instant, as Bruce Wayne I can see what Thorne is planning in ways that he would never tell Batman. _

Walking into the kitchen, Bruce Wayne quickly scanned the area until he found his faithful butler Alfred, who was putting the finishing touches on the large cake that would be carted out into the ballroom near the end of the event. Lifting his head to see Bruce walking towards him, Alfred smiled thinly as he continued decorating the cake. "I trust that you are enjoying the appetizers, Master Bruce? I used a different method in preparing the shrimp that I learned from one of your Japanese partners when he came to visit during your after-hours campaigns."

"The food is fine as always, Alfred," Bruce replied with his own smile fading fast as his "true" personality started to come through. "It's the clientele that's making my stomach curl. So many of the people here ruin the lives of the youth that they claim are protecting by going to this charity ball. It's unfortunate that I can't expose them as Bruce Wayne, and as Batman I can only do so much to bring them to justice. I can smell the corruption that reeks from their breath, and the most I can do to keep them from spreading their corruption is pay them a visit every once in a while as Batman and hope that they stay out of trouble until I find something more concrete."

"If you don't mind me saying so, sir, but if you weren't so insistent on this 'billionaire playboy' charade you put on every time you hold one of these things, perhaps the uncouth ones would be more careful at the events they decide to crash," Alfred replied nonchalantly as he put the finishing touches on the cake, designing the last rose before putting the frosting baster down and admiring his work. "I understand why you do it, but I think you were more assertive as Bruce Wayne, then that would make your other work easier."

"...what do you mean, Alfred?"

"Bruce!"

Before Alfred could continue, a vaguely familar voice tickled Bruce's ear, causing him to turn around and see what was perhaps the very opposite of the portly Buffet of the intimidating Thorne. What walked to him now was a man who appeared to be in his 30s, with dark brown hair and thin glasses wearing a dark blue suit with a maroon tie and matching leather shoes. Unlike Buffet, he was well-built, almost at Bruce's muscular level. "I've been looking all over for you, Bruce. I was hoping I'd get to meet you before you did one of your famous disappearing acts that you've become so well-known for at these charity balls."

"I just needed to talk to Alfred about the dessert," Bruce lied as he gave the man the once-over, trying to figure out where he had seen the man before. Not wanting to give the man reason for suspicion, Bruce outstretched his hand and treated him as if he were a stranger. "I don't believe we know each other well enough to call each other in a first-name basis, so we'll start with a more formal introduction. My name is Bruce Wayne, and you are...?"

"Tammany Crux," the man replied before reaching out and shaking Bruce's hand, gripping it tightly to where even the powerful Bruce took notice. _What a powerful grip, _Bruce thought as he put on his best smile while Crux did the same. _And yet...it feels like I've shaken this hand before. Very strange, indeed..._

"I am glad you were able to come to my party, Mr. Crux," Bruce said before the two broke the handshake and made their way back out to the ballroom. "I'm surprised that I've never met you before, since most of the people who come to these things are the same people who come to them every time I host. I suppose I'm not as well-versed with the names of my guests as I'd like."

"This is actually my first time coming, Bruce," Crux replied as he made his way to the serving table and picked out an apple. Biting into the apple, Crux continued speaking even as he chewed. "I've been a doctor at Gotham City General Hospital the past few years, so I haven't really had time to go to these things before now. I suppose I just didn't consider myself wealthy enough to be associated with the people you invite to these things..."

"If I had known that, I would have personally invited you long ago," Bruce added as he watched Crux finish the apple, silently assessing him to figure out why the man was so familiar to him. "Public servants like doctors and policemen are always welcome at my parties, because you're the antibodies that keep this city from becoming diseased. The policemen fight the criminal bacteria that threaten to overwhelm the arteries of the city, and the doctors repair any damage they might do. Without you, the city would fall into disarray."

As he continued observing Crux, Bruce reminded himself of how true his words rang, especially in recent years. Not only has Gotham City endured a staggering crime rate for many years, but it had also been subject to terrorist attacks. In one instance, a lethal plague swept through Gotham and it took the combined efforts of Batman and his allies, costumed and otherwise, to eradicate the threat. In a more recent event, terrorists used a powerful eco-weapon to create massive earthquakes that temporarily turned Gotham City into a No Man's Land, and it was through the efforts of the Gotham City Police Department that the city maintained even the slightest bit of order during the chaotic times.

Obviously realizing what Bruce was referring to with his statement, Crux finished his apple and continued speaking. "I was fortunate enough to be away from the city during the quakes, but I definitely agree with you. Gotham City to me a giant patient that needs to be treated. That's why I do whatever I can with my reputation as a surgeon to heal this city and the people who live here...at least, that's what I'm planning on running with when I run for mayor."

Bruce raised an eyebrow at Crux's statement, and this did not escape Crux's notice. "What, you didn't know?" Crux balked before pulling out a button from his pocket with the phrase "Crux for Mayor" plastered over it, with a pair of scalpels crossing over each other to form the X. "I figured with the way Buffet blabs that he would have told you that I'm going to be your opponent."

"I...believe there has been some confusion, " Bruce said with a pause. "Buffet did make me an offer to run for mayor, but I told him that I would give my answer in the morning. Nothing is really set in stone yet."

"...GOOD," Crux suddenly blurted out and a look of excitement plastered onto his face. "I was worried that I was going to have to fight a losing battle with you running against me, but if you haven't decided yet then I still have a chance to become mayor!" Suddenly bursting out into laughter, Crux put the pin on his jacket and tapped it gleefully. "That means I can ask you if you want to become one of my sponsors. If I can get your support, then I'm going to be a shoo-in against whatever idiot decides to run against me."

_Something about his body language is familar, _Bruce thought as he watched Crux reach for another appetizer, this time a banana. _It wouldn't be out of the question if this Crux was one of my enemies disguised as a civilian. _Watching Crux eat the banana, Bruce racked his brain of the massive rogue's gallery he had accumulated over the years in order to figure out the man's true identity, if he had one. _Who do I have that is a master of disguise. Maybe he's one of the Clayfaces...no, that can't be right. He's not particularly tense, which he'd have to be in order to maintain that form for so long. Someone different, maybe..._

Though "billionaire playboy" was the title that Bruce Wayne had been given by the press that remained blissfully ignorant of his true personality, as Batman he has earned the title "the World's Greatest Detective." Even with the cape and cowl away for the time being, the mask of Bruce Wayne concealed that brilliant deductive mind that was now hard at work trying to figure out why Crux gave him such a powerful feeling of deja vu. One of the first rules of being a detective was that nothing happened by coincidence. Therefore, Bruce posed a question of his own.

"I notice a good deal of scars around your neck and collarbone, Mr. Crux," Bruce finally said as Crux finished his banana with the same fervor that he finished the apple. "Were you in some sort of accident?"

"A long time ago," Crux replied with a little bit less fervor than what he had been exhibiting up until that point. With a slight itch, Crux scratched the scars around the area Bruce pointed out and his eyes trailed downward. "When I was a kid, my parents and I were caught in a car accident, and it wasn't looking good for any of us until your father came along and put us back together the best that he could. My father didn't make it, but I guess two out of three isn't too bad, right?"

"You knew my father?"

"Are you kidding? He was the reason I became a doctor," Crux replied with another smile as he put his hands away from his scars and straightened his glasses that had become crooked from his sudden outburst earlier. Looking directly at Bruce, Crux widened his smile and seemingly beamed with pride. "Your father saved my mother's life, and I will never forget what the Wayne family did for me all those years ago..."

And thought it was only a slight instant, there was a quick spark in Crux's eyes that sent a shockwave of warning down Bruce's spine. It was the faintest glimmer that revealed something very nasty, and something that Bruce had seen many times before in his more dangerous adversaries like the Joker, Two-Face, and Poison Ivy. An overwhelming flash of murderous intent that instilled fear into anyone that could detect it, and though Crux kept it well-hidden, it was exactly the kind of reveal Bruce was waiting for. "I will pay you back for how you helped me, Bruce," Crux said with his smile still on his face, though that quick spark put Bruce on alert. "When I become mayor, I'll make sure of it."

With something catching his eye, Crux's attention turned away from Bruce and instead to a woman that passed by him. "It was good talking to you, Bruce, but I'm going to, uh, mingle around a bit more," Crux said as his eyes suddenly became fixated on the woman, or more specifically her well-rounded bottom. "I'm sure you can understand where I'm coming from, being the big-time billionaire playboy, am I right!?"

"Of course, Mr. Crux. It was a pleasure meeting you," Bruce said with another fake smile as Crux walked off. As soon as Crux was far enough away, however, Bruce's smile quickly disappeared as he thought back to the instanteously spark of danger that came from Crux's eye. Not only that, the story he gave was strikingly familiar, and not in the way that made Bruce feel comfortable. _Better alert Alfred and tell him to stay on guard, _Bruce thought as he spotted Alfred coming towards him with the cake ready for serving. _We can't have him know that we're on to him just yet, but we also can't let him do as he pleases, especially in my own-_

"Look!"

A woman's sudden exclamation caused Bruce, and many others in the room, to turn to the large window that oversaw much of Gotham City, and the colorful lights and majestic structures made it quite a breathtaking view for those who were not familiar with Gotham. For those that lived in Gotham, there was always one sight that always inspired awe, even from those who had seen the sight for years. It was something that separated Gotham from all of the other major cities with similar histories and structures.

That was the fabled "Bat-Signal" that shone from police headquarters and beamed into the night sky, shining like a second moon with the insignia of the city's defender Batman in the center. It told both Batman and all those who lived in Gotham that the Dark Knight was needed to smite evil in ways that the police could not. And as the other guests gathered around the window to guess what the signal was shining for this time, Bruce used the signal as his cue to make one of his "famous exits from his charity balls" and suit up.

With Alfred turning to him and nodding his head, Bruce Wayne quickly retreated out of the ballroom and into his living room, where his secret passage to the Batcave resided. After approaching his trick grandfather clock and turning the hands to the proper time (the exact time in which his parents were shot and killed in the street to begin his strange adventure), Bruce quickly entered the passageway that revealed itself and closed the "door" behind him. As soon as it was closed, he completely shed his phony "Bruce Wayne" persona and once again let his true self emerge: now he was once again Batman, ready to defend Gotham City and solve another case.

* * *

"I'm tellin' ya, commish. I don't think we need 'im this time 'round," Harvey Bullock protested as he continued chewing on his toothpick. Lifting up the files in his hand, Bullock pleaded his case to the man that he'd follow into the depths of hell if the situation called for it. "I'm pretty sure I can figure this one out all by myself. Just give me three weeks and a couple 'a guys from forensics and we'll be good to go without needing Bat-brain's help."

"This is just a precaution, Bullock," Commissioner Gordon replied. "I want this one closed as fast as possible, and for that I want both of you to be working on this. Don't think for a second I'm shortchanging you, Bullock: you're better than that."

"Yeah, yeah," Bullock grumbled before putting his hands in his trenchcoat pockets to protect them from the sudden cold wind that blew through the late autumn night air. "Just figured I'd throw that out there for ya."

Though Harvey Bullock and Commissioner James Gordon rarely saw eye-to-eye when it came to the vigilante that they were now signaling to come to the room with their modified searchlight "Bat-signal," the large and powerful Bullock's gruff demeanor was matched only by his devotion to the law, even with the persistent rumors that he was once a dirty cop. Bullock respected Gordon more than anyone else on the police force, and while he might not have liked Gordon's trust in Batman, he was willing to put up with it because Gordon wanted the same thing he wanted: a Gotham City that wasn't struggling to breathe with crime's icy grip wrapped around its neck.

And in turn, the battle-tested commissioner trusted Bullock as much as he trusted Batman. Bullock might have been irritable and slovenly, but he was a fine police officer and one of Gotham City Police Department's most well-respected detectives, at least internally. There had been many cases in the past where Bullock was accused of police brutality, or operating outside the law to get a case done, but Bullock did his job very well. So well that Gordon now considered Bullock, at least unofficially, his second-in-command in the GCPD.

Whether the pencil-pushers at City Hall liked it or not, Bullock and Gordon would continue to raise hell for Gotham's criminal element and walk the fine line between legal and illegal in cooperation with their mysterious "consultant"...who mere seconds after Bullock suggested he take the case by himself, swooped down onto the roof with his long black cape flowing in the cold air. With Batman landing gracefully despite the somewhat the obvious modifications he had made to his once-thin costume.

When Gordon first began working with Batman, the vigilante wasn't much more than a man in dark tights with maybe a layer of kevlar underneath his suit. Now Batman's costume was more like lightweight armor, with metallic gauntlets and boots around the hands and feet, and thick bulletproof armor around the torso and fleshy areas of the body. The only part that seemed to still retain the cloth properties of Batman's first appearance was Batman's cape and cowl, though Gordon saw this as something that didn't need changing. Batman struck fear into countless adversaries with that cape and cowl, so there was little need to modify it.

With his trademark insignia quickly becoming covered by the wide cape that Batman wrapped around his body, either to keep from getting cold or out of habit from "looking good for his friends," the vigilante stood up straight and spoke. "What seems to be the problem, Jim?" the Dark Knight said calmly, causing Gordon by his first name even though Gordon didn't believe he knew Batman well enough for a first-name basis.

Maybe one day, the commissioner would learn why Batman always called him by that name, but for now, he would focus on the task at hand. "There's a case that we'd like your opinion on," Gordon answered as he and Bullock stepped forward with the files in Gordon's hand being handed to the vigilante. "Tell him what you've found out, Harvey."

"Five murders, four men and one woman. We're still investigating their common link, but it looks like they all died within the same one or two days," Bullock gave the details to Batman in an almost mechanical manner as Batman thumbed through the file until he pulled out five pictures. As soon as the pictures were visibly in his hand, Bullock walked to Batman's side and pointed at the pictures. "We didn't mess with the bodies until the pictures were taken. The first body was found in an alleyway next to Finnigan's on 45th. The second body was on 34th and Clancy. The third was on 46th, the fourth next to a dumpster at the Mickey's on 8th, and we found the fifth body four hours ago by a bum near Garnett Ave."

"...what have their autopsies revealed?" Batman asked solemnly.

"For the first four bodies, they've had certain body parts removed. We haven't looked at the fifth body yet, but all of them have had their faces removed," Bullock answered, pointing to the bandaged heads that each of the victims had in the pictures. As Batman continued thumbing through the file, Bullock continued to explain the situation. "As you can see from the reports here, these people weren't just ripped open like some of wackier yahoos you deal with. These people were operated on and then thrown out when whoever picked 'em apart was done with them."

"Hush," Batman replied solemnly.

"You think he's back?" Gordon added as he stepped forward to where Batman was standing. "He took a pretty nasty fall after what he did to Ms. Kyle."

"Wait, hold on a sec," Bullock stepped between the two and added his own input. "Who the hell is Hush?"

"Another madman with a costume," Batman answered harshly. "Dr. Thomas Elliot was a brilliant surgeon and once saved Bruce Wayne's life, but he turned to a life of crime as the master criminal Hush. He's used this M.O. with victims once before: he attacked the East End the same way as in these pictures until Catwoman attempted in intervene. Then he captured her and would have killed her if I didn't stop him."

"When I got there, Batman told me that Hush fell off of the roof of the building of Wayne Enterprises. We saw traces of his blood, but by the time the rest of us got there, he was already gone. So far every investigation of him hasn't provided anything fruitful to his whereabouts, but maybe these murders will be the thing that makes him slip up," Gordon added as Batman returned the files to him. "Bullock, I want you to continue your investigation and keep me up to date on anything new you find out. Trust me when I say that Hush is a special kind of scumbag."

"Joker-level or Killer Moth?" Bullock asked with a smirk.

"He's the kind of scumbag who operates off of a vendetta," Batman replied curtly before turning away from the two policemen and walking towards the ledge. Pulling out his grappling hook, the vigilante turned his head to face Bullock and Gordon one last time before swinging off. "I'll do research from my end and keep you informed on what I find out. If Hush really is the killer, then these aren't just random attacks. He has something much bigger planned, and we'll all need to do our part to nip this in the bud."

"Do what you gotta do, Bats," Bullock said just before Batman took off into the night. "Just know if I find 'im first, you'll have to make due with what's left of your Shush."

_Tommy..._

Though Batman was able to keep his emotions in check when speaking of the real name of the deranged criminal known as Hush, Bruce Wayne knew the suspect much more intimately than what he was letting on. Many years ago, long before he took up the cape and cowl, Bruce Wayne and Thomas "Tommy" Elliot were childhood friends. In fact, Bruce and Tommy were undoubtedly best friends, and to both their parents it looked as if it would be a friendship that would last the rest of their lives.

But like many things that became of Bruce's childhood, it was a friendship that would soon be based off of deception and vendettas. For many years, Bruce thought that the reason Tommy grew distant from Bruce was because Dr. Thomas Wayne failed to save his father after the Elliots were caught in a deadly car crash. It wasn't until Dr. Elliot returned to Bruce's life as Hush that he was made privy to the truth. Tommy grew to hate the Waynes because they saved his mother, as he was the one who orchestrated the fateful crash so that he could have access to the massive family inheritance.

And with that vendetta against the Waynes, Tommy learned that Bruce was secretly the Batman, and in turn created his own alter-ego to combat his former friend in the world of costumed heroes and villains. That alter-ego was Hush, the master criminal strategist and an expert in the ways of deception. Tommy and Bruce were always evenly matched physically, but it was the young Tommy that taught Bruce how to use strategy in combat. Batman might have been the world's greatest detective, but much of what he learned about using his mind came from his dealings with Tommy.

Even though his comrades told him that Hush was his enemy, there was always a part of Bruce that wanted to believe that somewhere beneath the bandages and trenchcoat was the boy that he befriended so many years ago. _Unfortunately, it looks like my hopes of reaching that boy will need to be put aside, _Batman thought as he swooped down next to the gargoyle near the massive Gotham Cathedral, perching next to the stone structure and looking out into the city. _If Hush is behind these murders, then that means he's after some new scheme...and I'm sure this Tammany Crux is involved in some way. _

The body language of Mr. Crux, however subtle, struck a very familiar chord with Bruce Wayne, but what sealed the deal was the backstory Crux gave Bruce about how he decided to become a doctor. His story matched the story Tommy gave when asked what inspired him to become a surgeon. And then of course there was the fatal flicker in Crux's eye that Batman had seen many times before: the flicker of murder and villainy that had become tragically commonplace in Gotham's elites. _And now he's running for mayor, _Batman thought before tapping onto his ear, activating the receiver in his cowl. _If Crux is who I think he is, then Gotham could fall into disaster if he was the one representing the city._

"Alfred," Batman said curtly with the cold autumn air matching his voice. "Have the guests left yet?"

_"They are in the process of leaving now, sir," _Alfred stated through the other side of the receiver. _"I also kept a close eye on that man who followed you into the kitchen. After you left, he kept his distance from the rest of the guests apart from Mr. Buffet. For someone who is about to run for office, he does not seem particularly enthusiastic about making new contacts, especially at your ball where he could be making very powerful sponsors for any campaign he might pursue."_

"I think he might be Tommy Elliot in disguise," Batman answered as he continued looking out into the city, turning his head to see the majestic tower of Wayne Enterprises shining in the distance. "When we last met three months ago, Tommy fell off of the roof of Wayne Enterprises. Did you notice any sort of limping or something that would suggest he recently sustained an injury?"

"Nothing of the sort, sir," Alfred replied. "I see him leaving now. Would you like for me to have Master Tim follow him?"

"...not yet," Batman answered before turning his head towards City Hall. "If Lucius Fox is still there, please pull him aside and ask for him to arrange a press conference tomorrow morning. Bruce Wayne will be making a very important announcement about the future of Wayne Enterprises and he intends for it to be very public. It'll be something that'll shake Gotham City to its very core."

"I trust you will wish for me not to put it in those exact words, sir," Alfred deadpanned. "This city is still recovering from the last case of the shakes it endured."

"...of course, Alfred," Batman replied with a rare smile. "I'll see you in two hours at the Batcave. I'm going to finish up my patrol."

Pressing on his ear again to end the call, Batman paused for a moment before pressing his ear yet again to re-activate the receiver. "Buffet, Roger," the Dark Knight said solemnly as he stared out into City Hall. Even though Roger Buffet was far, far away from what Batman considered his inner circle, this next call was something that would set forth a chain of events that would hopefully deter Crux's chances of being voted into office as mayor. What Batman didn't realize, at least at that time, was that it would also set forth events that, if followed through, would change Gotham City in a very, very big way.

"...hello?"

"Mr. Buffet, it's Bruce Wayne," Batman said, putting on his Bruce Wayne "billionaire playboy" persona as he launched himself off of the perch and sailed through the night with the wind beneath his cape. "I just want to let you know that I've decided to accept your offer for candidacy for the upcoming mayoral election. Please arrive at Wayne Enterprises at 8 AM sharp, and we'll discuss the particulars before my official press conference."


	2. Chapter 2

_**FullMetalKnight: **This story is written mostly off of headcanon, which takes what I like best from the different forms of media (DCAU, comics, Arkham games) and consolidate it into a single universe. So stuff that might have happened in the comics might have happened a little differently here. You'll see what I mean with this chapter._

* * *

"I don't think this is a good idea, Mr. Wayne."

Though he knew that Lucius Fox was only saying what he felt was in Bruce's best interest, Bruce had heard those words said to him many, many times even though he hadn't been at the Wayne Enterprises tower for more than an hour. He underestimated how quickly word would spread of what was supposed to be kept secret until the press conference that would take place shortly, but it wasn't like the lack of secrecy was going to sway his decision. Within the next hour, Bruce Wayne would make a formal public announcement that he would declare candidacy for the position of Gotham City's mayor.

"I can understand your concerns, Lucius," Bruce said to his elderly friend as he noticed that familiar look of anxiety on his dark-skinned face. Straightening his red tie in the nearby mirror, the chairman of Wayne Enterprises nodded his head in satisfaction before turning around fully to face Lucius. "You're thinking that if I announce candidacy and if I get the position, I'll be unable to run Wayne Enterprises. You know I have enough faith in you to keep things running while I'm in office."

"That's not what I mean," Lucius protested as his employer stepped away from the mirror and made his way to the elevator, where dozens of reporters awaited his arrival at the podium set up in the lobby. "Bruce, if you do this, you'll be painting a target on your back for your critics to fire at. With all of the philandering you do after hours, there's no way that anyone is going to take you seriously as a candidate! All you really have going for you in terms of public image is the Wayne Foundation, and the orphan bit will only take you so far in the world of politics."

_Sorry, Lucius, but if possible I would have liked to stay away from politics myself, _Bruce thought as he continued to listen to Lucius' protests in a vain attempt to sway his decision away from the announcement he was about to make. _The reason I'm doing this isn't because I necessarily want to become mayor. I'm doing this to make sure that a potential madman doesn't become mayor and make this city a piece of Hell on earth. This city has enough problems without the corruption spreading right to the root of City Hall._

As the two entered the elevator and watched the door close behind them, Bruce's mind wandered briefly to what happened the night before that prompted him to make his decision. Buffet's offer wasn't the first time that suggestions had been made to Bruce to use his sway to enter the world of politics. There were several reasons why Bruce said no, from the conflict of interests that would arise from being the head of Wayne Enterprises to the overall disgust he felt around politicians who were in many cases as much of a monster as the villains he faced as Batman. Perhaps the biggest reason was that becoming mayor would draw more public attention to him than he would have liked, and make his patrols as the Dark Knight more difficult to follow up on.

But as soon as Bruce Wayne met Tammany Crux, who had already announced his intention to run for mayor, and then summoned by Commission Gordon as Batman to investigate a series of surgery-related murders, Bruce realized that the only way to combat what was potentially a dark conspiracy to unravel Gotham City's fragile order was to play the game that Buffet wanted him to play. Even if Bruce Wayne didn't win the election, directly combating Crux's bid would give him an opportunity to observe him and see what his game was.

"...and even if you put me in charge of the company, what would happen if you lost the election? Stocks would plummet, and we're in the middle of a huge bidding war with Lexcorp for the rights to design the military's new plane," Lucius continued as Bruce returned to reality with the elevator door opening to reveal the mob of reporters that had gathered around in preparation for Bruce's press conference. "And even if you won, we need you to make the necessary preparations for the deal. It's not like you have any successors picked in the case you need to step away...which you would if you won, by the way."

"I'll ask Dick if he's available," Bruce replied somewhat distantly as he mentally focused himself for his press conference. "He's a very capable young man and I don't doubt that he'd be able to control things once I step into office."

Lucius let out a sigh before lowering his voice and putting a hand on Bruce's shoulder. "Listen, Bruce...if your mind is made up, just let me know ASAP what your plans are for Wayne Enterprises. We don't want this to look like you're doing this just off of a whim."

"...I'll do what is best, Lucius," Bruce said quietly before straightening his black business suit one last time and stepping into the podium. "That is all I can promise you."

As the head of Wayne Enterprises, Bruce Wayne had called for many press conferences over the years, though most of them were called because he was maintaining his facade as "billionaire playboy" and announcing yet another business acquisition or merger that made Wayne Enterprises' empire even wider than before. There were a couple of times that Wayne Enterprises' ethics were called into question with how large it was getting, claiming it was monopolizing whatever market it was entering, but most of the lawsuits filed against them were soon dropped as they lacked any reasonable grounds for accusations. Bruce took absolute care in making sure that Wayne Enterprises didn't fall into the same traps that many other companies fell in when it came to remaining ethical.

This press conference would be different. Whenever Wayne Enterprises or even the charitable Wayne Foundation held a press conference, the press never took Bruce Wayne's speeches at face value. To them, he would always be the "billionaire playboy" whose eccentric behavior and continuous flirting made his parents roll in their graves with every action he pursued. Today, Bruce would shed that persona and give the press a very slight glimpse of his true self. He would need to if he wanted his plan to succeed.

As Bruce stepped up to the podium, there was a polite applause from the press, one that Bruce had grown accustomed to as the head of a major technology firm. Once the applause subsided, Bruce cleared his throat and tapped on the microphone once before officially beginning his press conference. "I'm pleased that you were able to come this morning on such short notice," Bruce began as he scanned the crowd for any deviants like he usually did when he held a conference. "I know how difficult it can be to brave the morning congestion in the city to get here."

_...looks like everyone's clean, _Bruce thought as he decided that, at least for now, no one was going to take a shot at him from the crowd. Even with the cape and cowl off, Bruce Wayne had been the target of someone's bullets many times, and on more than one occasion was the shot taken during a press conference such as this one. Thankfully, his extensive training as a vigilante taught him how to detect potential danger in small crowds such as this one. _No danger yet, but if "Crux" is planning something, he probably already knows I'm scanning the crowd like this. Time to make my announcement._

"I'll get right to the point. The reason I called you all here today is that I am officially announcing my intention to run for mayor."

It started off very subtly at first, just a couple of people muttering to each other as those words left Bruce's lips. A few seconds later, the subtle muttering became a steady rumbling as more of the reporters spoke to their cameramen to make sure that they had heard correctly. After about ten seconds, that rumbling suddenly became a roar of questions like a flock of birds rushing towards a piece of food that was tossed their way. Even though Bruce was never one for politics, him running for mayor didn't seem like that far of a stretch for him. Clearly, he underestimated the great care he had taken to make sure that the stoic Batman could not possibly be the eccentric Bruce Wayne.

Without missing a beat, Bruce spoke into the microphone and attempted to bring order to his press conference. "I will answer your questions one at a time: we have plenty of time to answer them so there's no need to rush," Bruce said with a thin smile before shifting his eyes to see an attractive blonde woman with a mircophone. "Miss Vale, we'll start with you."

Even though Bruce addressed Vicki Vale formally, he had known the television reporter for a very long time, and even dated her during Batman's younger years. There was even a time when Bruce Wayne considered letting her in on his secret, but he wisely decided not to knowing full well how determined Vicki would be to get a scoop that no one else could possibly get. Even if she didn't do it maliciously, Vicki wouldn't have been able to help herself in making Batman's identity a public matter. As such, Bruce and Vicki drifted apart and now they were only acquaintances.

"This seems a little out of the blue for you, Bruce," Vicki said bluntly as her cameraman zoomed in on Bruce's face, inching ever-so-closer to get a better reaction. "With your pedigree, you could have entered politics long ago and no one would have bat an eyelid, but Wayne Enterprises is nowhere close to struggling. Why would you throw away your position in the company to become mayor, especially now when there's no reason to?"

"I was made an offer by Mr. Buffet last night during my charity ball," Bruce motioned to the portly Roger Buffet sitting behind him, who was beaming with pride as he watched what he perceived as "his candidate" make his announcement. "I was reluctant to accept at first, partly due to the reason you just mentioned. It's true, Wayne Enterprises has been thriving the past couple of years and financially there is no reason for me to put my bid in for the position of mayor. But I like to think that by running for mayor, I'll be able to show the public a side of me that I've kept hidden for a very long time."

"And what side might that be, Bruce?" Vicki asked with a hint of anticipation.

Bruce's expression hardened slightly as he spoke, and though it was a subtle change, the rest of the press quickly took note of it and leaned in, with some of them taking pictures as the words were leaving Bruce's lips. "Many years ago, I lost my parents to the disease that has gripped this city since its inception. I was ten years old when that happened, a very impressionable age for anyone, and I still remember putting my hand in my mother's blood as it pooled on the ground. If not for Alfred, I have no idea where I would be right now. More than likely, I would have been consumed by my desire for revenge and Wayne Enterprises as you know it wouldn't exist..."

Bruce paused as he took note of the surprised expressions of the reporters and photographers, many of which he recognized as veterans who had survived the terrorist plots that plagued Gotham City the past few years (in one case, a literal plague ran through the streets that left a deep wound in the city's morale). This was something that Bruce rarely let anyone see, a side to him that eventually permeated throughout his core and turned him into the Batman. Now, he was giving the public a faint glimpse of the man that struck fear and awe into those that saw him when he put on the cape and cowl.

Seeing that he had their attention, Bruce Wayne continued. "The last mayor that ran Gotham City resigned in disgrace, having let the disease that killed my parents run throughout the city unchecked, and I'm not talking about the Clench. I'm talking about the disease of evil and greed that lurks within the hearts of all men. Instead of tempering that evil to make ourselves stronger, this disease spreads throughout the city with no cure other than death and deception. I've done my best to help cure the root of the disease with the Wayne Foundation...but there is only so much I can do from that end."

"You're not the first mayor to run for office with a stance on crime," Vicki replied with the same bluntness she exhibited before. Bruce figured that out of everyone, she would be the one most shocked to hear about Bruce's hidden aggression against crime, but she remained eerily calm throughout. Perhaps Bruce underestimated Vicki's perceptiveness. "If you're going to expect votes just based on being an orphan, you'll have to do a lot better than that to convince people you won't let them down like so many other mayors."

"...I'll discuss this further during the first debate," Bruce responded as he realized that he was coming on a little too strong this early in the game. He needed to be steadfast in his resolve, but not so much that people began to question what kind of man Bruce Wayne truly was. "Just know that unlike those other mayors who might have been tempted by the riches that the criminal element offered them to keep them in check, having already tasted wealth I have no desire to accept it from those type of people. I will do my part to make this city a better place."

Seeing another man raise his hand, Bruce Wayne identified Vicki's longtime co-worker and rival Jack Ryder and pointed him out. "Mr. Ryder, do you have a question?"

"Yeah, Bruce, I do," the ever-persistent reporter said with even less respect for formality than Vicki, either because he didn't want to be outdone by his rival or because he felt that showing such brashness would elicit a response from Bruce that Vicki couldn't get. With his dark hair slightly uneven to give him an even greater aura of brashness, Jack's glasses tilted slightly on his nose as he gave his question. "Why are you running for mayor now if you're doing it for your folks? You could have stepped in during any of the other elections."

"It's true, Buffet wasn't the first person to make me an offer to enter politics," Bruce replied as he remembered the long history he had with Jack Ryder. Despite his attitude problems, Ryder knew full well about what Bruce was talking about with how diseased the city could be when it came to crime, having been a victim of it himself. One attempt on his life was so dire, that Jack Ryder almost disappeared completely, instead replaced by the insane mutated "Creeper" that Batman had the privilege of allying with if only to keep him in check. Though a cure was found for Ryder's mutation, Batman had continued to keep a close eye on Ryder over the years to make sure that the insanity that gripped him did not emerge again.

But while his sanity was no longer in question, his personality was a different story.

"The reason I am entering politics now, Mr. Ryder, is because I believe Wayne Enterprises is stable enough to thrive in my absence if I am elected mayor," Bruce lied with just enough truth that Ryder wouldn't be suspicious to his answer, though he could tell that Ryder wasn't really satisfied with what he was given. "In the previous elections, there was always some sort of calamity gripping Gotham, and it wasn't too long ago that Gotham City was rebuilt after the earthquakes. Now that things have settled down a bit, I would like to take the next step in healing this city."

_"Heya, Bruce..."_

Suddenly, the tiny microphone lodged in Bruce's ear buzzed. During every press conference, constantly aware of how big of a target a billionaire could be as well as the small handful of enemies who knew of his secret, Bruce kept a small receiver in his ear that only those who had access to the Batcave could send messages from. Though Bruce Wayne had access to top-notch security measures, Batman only trusted those that he had personally trained to watch over his well-being during his civilian time. Unfortunately, Bruce would need to change the frequency again, because the voice that whispered in his ear was most definitely not one he wanted to hear.

Unable to respond to the voice, Bruce Wayne continued accepting questions while paying close attention to what the voice had to say. _"I leave Gotham City for just a few weeks, and already you're doing something to piss me off," _the all-too-familar cocky voice taunted as he knew full well that Bruce couldn't answer him or even react to his presense. _"You always knew how to stroke your ego just subtly enough that the others wouldn't call you out on it...but me, I always know when you're on another ego trip looking to prove how damn superior you are."_

Though he couldn't visibly react to the voice, Bruce had become a master as subtly doing what he felt was necessary for his safety without alerting others than he was in danger. Turning his head to make it appear that he was looking at Lucius Fox, Bruce instead looked to a small corner of the ceiling, where he spotted the shine of a rifle reflecting in the morning sun. Without staring too much at it, Bruce turned back to the reporters and continued answering questions. It wasn't easy listening to the voice in his receiver and answering questions from the crowd, but it was something that a mind as sharp as Batman's could do without much trouble.

_"Here's what's going to happen, Bruce," _the voice hummed as the man he was taunting continued acting as if there was nothing out of the ordinary happening apart from his announcement. _"Since you know where I am, you should have no trouble avoiding this sniper round I'm about to fire right at your brain. When that happens, panic will spread, and you'll use that opportunity to make one of your grand escapes. At that point, you'll head back to the Batcave, get your gear on, and meet me at the Alley and we'll have a more intimate talk."_

_That's not good, _Bruce thought as he stopped listening to questions and instead focused himself entirely on how to avoid complete chaos that was about to ensue once that shot was fired. He knew full well that the voice wasn't bluffing, and there was no way he could prevent him from firing the shot from where he was standing. At least, there wasn't any way he could do so without raising questions about Bruce Wayne that he wasn't prepared to answer. _If he fires a shot in here, someone could get hurt, but if I bring attention to him, he might fire at a civilian instead. _

_"3..."_

Turning around to see Buffet, Bruce quickly rattled off a possible scenario that would allow him to casually dodge the bullet that the interloper was going to fire at him. He knew that the bullet was only meant to get his attention and disperse the crowd, but the difficulty with the situation was that his assailant was unstable enough to fire at a civilian instead just to say that he outsmarted Batman. He would need to do something that would allow him to move out of the way while at the same time focus the shot on him. At the first least, he knew where it was coming from.

_"2..."_

"Mr. Buffet, if you would be so kind as to come up here to the podium," Bruce said with a smile as he motioned over to the politician who seemed slightly uncomfortable, possibly due to the hangover from his antics the night before. As Buffet sprang to attention and walked next to Bruce, the newly-announced candidate widened his smile as he put on his facade. "Mr. Buffet, I want to give you a chance to discuss with the press what you discussed with me last night. I think you'd be able to explain it better than I could."

_"1..."_

"Mr. Wayne, you can't expect me to recall everything I said to you," Buffet said nervously as he continued to sweat from the vertigo he was feeling from his hangover. "It was...a very hectic night for me. I just remember making you the offer and-"

"Oh, you'll do fine, Roger," Bruce said before putting his hand around Buffet's back and using his powerful build to huddle Buffet down a bit. With his voice falling into a whisper, Bruce comforted Buffet with the ulterior motive of dodging the bullet that would fire any moment. "I know it was a rough night, but you can't be so banged that-"

*ZIP*

Huddling down both his head and Buffet's just in time, Bruce watched the bullet pierce the podium and lodge itself onto the stage, as did everyone else who was watching Bruce and Buffet have a slight "group talk." Putting on a new facade, Bruce's eyes widened in shock as he turned to where he spotted the rifle and pointed. "It came from over there," he exclaimed as he watched the rifle slip into the shadows. "You can still see where the gun is!"

_"Not bad, Bruce," _the voice said before emerging from his shadow and vaulting off of the perch on the ceiling. With a graceful mid-air flip, the figure rotated in the air before landing on his feet and revealing himself to the press. Though his brown leather coat and blue jeans seemed like that the intruder wasn't particularly out of the ordinary, when he turned around to face the paparazzi they immediately took note of the red helmet that masked his face, with a pair of white impassive eyes that hid his murderous intent. Unzipping his jacket to reveal the red skull painted over his bulletproof vest, the villain switched frequencies so that his voice could be heard to the crowd and pulled out a handgun.

"Some of you might know me, and some of you won't," the young masked man said before pointing his handgun at Bruce Wayne and firing, watching Bruce narrowly dive out of the way of the stream of bullets. Watching Bruce fall to the floor with a rough landing, the young man formally introduced himself while reloading his chamber. "My name is the Red Hood, and I just so happen to be another 'victim of crime' that Bruce here seems to like championing."

Bruce's eyes narrowed as he turned to face the youth that at one point had been some Bruce considered a possible heir to the mantle of Batman if something should happen to him. Back then, he was just a boy named Jason Todd: someone who Batman met when he was trying to steal the Batmobile's tires in the alleyway that Red Hood had referred to earlier. Instead of turning him in, Batman decided to train him and eventually christen him as the second Robin. The hold the title of Robin was a great honor and brought with it a prestige that Batman hoped would prevent Jason from falling into the same criminal patterns that so many young people in Gotham fell into.

But Jason Todd's idea of Robin was a far cry from what was Dick Grayson's original idea of Robin. Instead of being the anchor that kept Bruce Wayne's humanity in check, the young Jason Todd was filled with so much rage and malice to the criminals they fought that there were times where it was Bruce Wayne who kept Jason Todd's humanity in check. Jason Todd took delight in the adventures he and Batman shared, but at the same time he got a particular thrill out of inflicting pain on the villains they faced. Not even a brief stint as part of the Teen Titans could temper Jason's bloodlust that only seemed to get worse as he got older.

Tragically, Jason Todd was killed in an explosion shortly after being beaten within an inch of his life by Joker, all because he wanted to track down his mother who betrayed him. But just like several of Batman's adversaries, Jason Todd would seemingly rise from the grave to haunt Bruce again, only this time by fulfilling the path the Batman hoped to steer him away from. Gone was the headstrong second Robin, and in his place was the murderous vigilante Red Hood, the vicious vigilante that sought to cure Gotham's rampant crime rate by drowning it in a sea of blood.

_Now I need to figure out how I stop him from turning the lobby of Wayne Enterprises into a sea of blood without revealing myself as Batman, _Bruce thought angrily as he pushed Buffet away and watched him flee into the crowd of cameramen and reporters madly scurrying about in an attempt to keep from getting shot. Even though he held no ill will towards Vicki Vale or Jack Ryder, the paparazzi by nature were in some ways scummier than the criminals they sought to expose. They always had to be the first to get the scoop, even at the expense of one of their own. As long as they were rabbling about trying to get a scoop, Bruce wouldn't be able to clear the area.

"What do you want, young man?" Bruce said as he pretended not to know his attacker as intimately as he did. "If you too are someone who knows how I feel, then tell me what I need to do to satisfy you."

"Satisfy me!? Oh man, you're a real piece of work, Bruce," Red Hood shook his head before pointing his gun directly at Bruce's head. "You know what would satisfy me right now, Bruce? What would satisfy me right now would be to call you out on your bullcrap and tell the entire world what kind of a fraud you really are. You run the sympathy card because you're an orphan, thinking that'll be your ticket to office, but I know you don't have the balls to do what's really necessary to save this city from itself!"

"With all due respect, young man," Bruce replied sternly as he stood up straight and folded his arms. He'd done this many times in the past when Jason Todd was acting out of line, doing his best to be a stern parent when his child was out of control. Even though Jason had seemingly lost himself in his thirst for carnage, Bruce still saw him as the angry little boy that he took under his wing. In a strange way, his current behavior was just another chapter in the saga of "rehabbing" him. "I've lived in this city all of my life, and I'm well aware of how deep the corruption goes. Perhaps if you help me, we can work together in stopping the madness."

"We did work together, old man. It didn't work out so well," Red Hood deadpanned as he cocked the hammer of his handgun. "You want to send shockwaves? You want to really make the bad guys sweat? How about I tell the world your big secret and they get to wrap their brains around the fact that the man who want to run the city is none other than the big bad-"

"Don't even think about it, young man," Bruce growled with the same quiet ferocity that made men piss themselves when he donned the cape and cowl at night.

"Or what, old man, huh!?" Red Hood snapped before pointing his gun at the crowd of reporters that were narrating the scene the best they could. "What are you going to do if I do? Are you going to silence me so that I don't blab? Of course you won't! Are you going to make me so afraid of you that I wouldn't dare spreading your secret? Of course you won't?"

"...stop this," Bruce said curtly as his eyes narrowed in anger.

"If I put a bullet in one of these reporter's heads, what are you going to do to bring me to justice, Bruce?" Red Hood's finger danced across the trigger as he aimed for the head of Vicki Vale. "Are you going to break my arm? Are you going to break my leg? Are you going to beat me so senseless that I wouldn't even be able to pull a trigger again? Come on, Bruce...WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO!?"

"Burn."

Feeling something warm coming from above them, Red Hood and Bruce Wayne looked into the sky just in time to see the jet of flames start to crash down on top of the former. Both of them quickly jumped away to avoid the flames, even though they were clearly meant for Red Hood, and soon after a cloaked figure in red and gold dropped down from the ceiling to face the young man that a moment ago was going to murder a woman in cold blood. As the stranger unfurled his long red cape and exposed himself to Red Hood, all the former Robin could do was ask a simple, almost childish question.

"...aren't you supposed to be dead?"

Lifting one of his golden gauntlets and pointing his hand at Red Hood, the stranger unleashed another stream of flame before speaking. "Leave now, or you shall take my place in the afterlife," he growled as Red Hood rolled out of the way before firing a shot directly at his golden armored chest. The bullet bounced off of the armor accordingly, and instead pierced one of the large windows in the lobby, though the stranger recoiled slightly from the impact. Reaching for the broadsword at his hip and pulling it out to reveal its fiery blade, the stranger issued his ultimatum once more. "Leave or burn. Make your decision."

Undeterred, Red Hood fired another bullet at the stranger, though this time aimed at his head. Weaving out of the way, the stranger charged forward and prepared to run Red Hood through. But while his bullet-proofing prevented him from being completely susceptible to Red Hood's gun, it did not protect him from Red Hood's other abilities. Vaulting over his attacker's shoulder as he rushed towards him, Red Hood flipped around and drove a knee in the back of his head, stunning him long enough to wrap his elbow around his neck and place him in a sleeper hold.

"I bet you think you're all that, hotshot," Red Hood hissed as his new enemy thrashed to break free while Red Hood used his free hand to pull out his trademark kris dagger. "You'll have to do a lot better than that if you want me to take you seriously." Carefully putting the blade in front of the stranger's face just so that he could see his reflection in its blade, Red Hood continued. "Last I checked, you've been dead a while. I guess that kind of makes us brothers, doesn't it...Azrae-ACK!"

Help came from an unexpected corner, or at least unexpected from the reporters' points of view. Using his powerful frame to overcome the thinner Red Hood, Bruce Wayne wrapped his arms around Red Hood and forcefully tossed him away, watching him land on his feet and slide across the floor while Azrael gasped for air. "Oh, I see how it is," Red Hood growled as he put his kris back in his pocket. "You can't face me one-on-one anymore because you're in bigshot mode, but double-teaming is perfectly OK!"

"You were about to kill this man. I had to stop you," Bruce replied in a manner that made Red Hood question whether he was talking to Bruce Wayne the billionaire or Bruce Wayne the Batman. Standing firm and clenching his fists, Bruce's eyes narrowed as he spoke to Red Hood bluntly. "I won't have you turning my building into a battlefield. Leave now and don't come back unless you've gotten rid of your weapons."

"...whatever. It's not like you're much fun like this anyway," Red Hood said with a shrug before lifting his arm and firing a grappling hook from one of his wrist-mounted devices hidden under his coat. With the hook latching onto an air duct, Red Hood soared into the air and quickly climbed into the duct as he waved goodbye to the man he once called his surrogate father. "We can discuss this when it's not so crowded. What I want to talk about, I want to talk about without the rest of your goon squad listening."

As Red Hood scurried through the duct, Bruce Wayne exhaled deeply as he watched his hired security look into the duct and quickly bark orders into their radio. He doubted that they would be able to catch Red Hood in time: he trained Jason better than that. For now, he was just thankful that he was able to avoid a bloody confrontation with his former protege. For a moment, it was beginning to look like the only way to stop Red Hood from murdering someone was to shed his veil of secrecy. If not for Azrael, things could have become extremely tense.

"...is that you, Jean-Paul?" Bruce whispered as Jean-Paul made his way over to him.

"...are you alright, Mr. Wayne?" the familiar voice of Azrael asked.

"I'll be fine, but if you're him, then we have many things we need to discuss," Bruce replied as Azrael turned around and prepared to retreat.

"We'll discuss them later, Mr. Wayne," Azrael said before looking to the duct that Red Hood crawled into. Pulling out a more traditional grappling hook, Azrael tossed the rope up to the duct and watched the hook latch onto it before pressing a button and quickly ascending so that he could crawl out after the villain. "For now, I will pursue the fiend. Focus on your work."

_Focus on my work, _Bruce repeated as he straightened his tie once more and walked over to the gaggle of reporters ready to swarm him with even more questions than before. _Hopefully I'll be able to keep this work separate from my Batman work...because it's starting to look like they're joining together. _


	3. Chapter 3

_**Author's Note: **Now that the summer is officially over for me, I will be doing these updates (hopefully) twice a weekend. It's been a long time since I've limited my chapter updates to just weekends, but I hope that the quality of my story-telling will remain as satisfying as ever. Enjoy everyone!  
_

* * *

_"Wealth, power, fame...and hope? That seems to be what is on the minds of the people of Gotham City as we are now a week removed from the surprising announcement of Bruce Wayne declaring his candidacy for the city's mayoral election, which was vacated last month after the city council unanimously decided to remove the former mayor, Quincy Sharp, who is now awaiting trial after being indicted on an unprecedented thirteen felony counts. When Bruce Wayne announced his intentions to run, there was an understandable concern from those watching. _

_But after an attack by the crime lord Red Hood, Bruce Wayne seems to be quite serious about running for mayor, revealing a side to him that we have yet to see from the eccentric billionaire. Since the attack, Bruce Wayne has been making it very clear what he intends to do if he is elected into office..._

_'I was ten years old when I watched my parents fall down in what is now known as Crime Alley, never to get back up again. No one should have to watch the people they care about bleed to death in the street, let alone a child. Regardless of what the people of Gotham might think of me right now, I can promise them that if they put their trust in me, I will not squander it. If you put your trust in me, do it not for my wealth or my fame or my pedigree...put your trust in me because I know firsthand, as a victim, the kind of evil that lurks within the heart of this city.'_

_Although the death of Bruce Wayne's parents, Thomas and Martha Wayne, is a well-documented event, Mr. Wayne has been very quiet about mentioning his parents' death, to a point where some of his critics would claim that he disgraces his family name with his behavior. Since his announcement to run for mayor, that perception appears to be changing. When asked Wayne's change in behavior, city councilman Roger Buffet had this to say..._

_'I am glad that the people of Gotham are finally beginning to see the kind of man Bruce Wayne truly is. When I offered him the chance to run for mayor, he was hesitant as he only wanted what was best for the people of Gotham. After a little bit of coaxing, however, I made him see the light: what is best for the people of Gotham is Bruce Wayne in office. The press over the years has wrongly painted him as a billionaire playboy that cares only for the decadent company of women, but now that he has been given an opportunity to do some real good for the city, Bruce Wayne has shown his true colors as the future of mayor of Gotham.'_

_Wayne will need to show his sincerity next week when he holds his first televised debate, where his opponent Dr. Tammany Crux will be waiting. Dr. Crux has yet to make a public announcement of what he will bring to the city if he is elected mayor, but he will need to think of something fast. To the eyes of the people of Gotham, including myself who knows the candidate personally, Bruce Wayne has finally grown into the city leader that many have hoped he would become._

_This is Summer Gleeson, 11 o'clock news..."_

* * *

Changing the frequency of his headset radio, the young man known across the world as the masked "boy wonder" shivered slightly in the cold autumn air and pulled up the hood to cover his head and protect himself from the chill. Winter seemed to be coming early to the people of Gotham City, as night as nippy as these were rare for this early in the year. Usually the really cold nights would come in the middle of November, but it was the start of October and Robin could already feel himself start to shake. _Good thing my costume is more friendly for weather like this, _Robin mused as he looked at his red-and-black costume, with a dull yellow etching the trademark "R" onto his chest. _If I was still wearing what I was wearing a few years ago, I'd probably wake up with a nasty cold._

As he continued looking down from the rooftop he was leaning over, Robin allowed his thoughts to drift back to when he did wear the red, yellow, and green. Back then, he was just barely a teenager, still in awe of the world that he unwittingly plunged himself in when he convinced Batman to train him as the third Robin. Unlike the Robin who came before him, whose recklessness wound up putting him in a pine box, Tim Drake saw the purpose of Robin quite differently. In Tim's eyes, the purpose of Robin was to act as the failsafe that kept Batman from becoming consumed by the darkness that he thrived in. Batman might have had a strict no-killing rule, but the level of violence he exhibited on the streets after Jason Todd's death became so extreme that even a boy like Tim could notice that it wasn't going to end well.

Dick Grayson saw Batman's mission as an adventure, and Jason Todd saw Batman's mission as a game. Tim Drake saw Batman's mission as an opportunity: a chance to prove his worth to the man that wound up adopting him after his birth father's untimely death. The title of "World's Greatest Detective" was something that Tim hoped to one day claim for his own, and with Batman's tutelage and approval, as well as being forced to constantly learn and grow in the wake of the Dark Knight's more intelligent opponents, it was more than just a dream. As soon as Tim graduated from college, he intended to make that dream a reality and perhaps give his foster father the slightest bit of respite from his endless crusade of ridding Gotham of crime.

"It is good to see you again, Robin."

Though the voice was speaking to Robin for the first time that evening, the Boy Wonder knew that someone was approaching for quite some time, having heard him land on the rooftop a few seconds ago. Though that wasn't that long for the average person, in Robin's line of work it was a practically a lifetime: the difference between life and death. If Robin was truly threatened by him, he would have retaliated instantly, but there were only a few people in Gotham who could sneak up on Robin like that, and most of them were allies.

That, and he recognized the voice as a friend.

Turning his head slightly to see the figure approaching him, Tim took a moment to admire the attire of the man that had once been his ally in the fight against evil. Though the golden gauntlets were still visible, as well as the unique black mask with a red bird-like insignia covering the mouth and the crimson hood covering the mask with a long red cape billowing in the autumn wind behind him, there was something a little more majestic about this particular iteration of this costume. Covering the body armor was a intricately-decorated robe portrayed what appeared to be a hooded angel cupping his hands in prayer while hands reached down below him, asking for salvation.

"...digging the outfit, Azrael," Tim said with a smile before turning around fully. "You always had a wicked sense of fashion...this hood I'm wearing is something I actually got from you. I'm glad you see you went back to that look: your outfits were starting to look pretty 80s after that."

"I...am honored that you've taken elements of my attire into your own," Azrael said quietly before stepping over to the side of the rooftop next to Robin and looking down to the restaurant below. "I was hoping find the fiend with the red helmet from last week, but Oracle said I would be better served if I assisted you with your mission." With Robin returning to the ledge, Azrael remained fixated on the entrance of the restaurant as men and women rotated in and out of the building in a seemingly constant cycle. "Who are we looking for?"

"Crux," Robin replied bluntly as he pointed to the man in question sitting inside, visible through a window on the first floor of the restaurant as he ate a sandwich. "I've been tracking him for the past four days but so far he hasn't done anything out of the ordinary. That's supposed to change tonight when he has a 'secret meeting' with a person of interest. We think it's going to happen at this restaurant, but he's been in there for an hour and no one has approached him."

"...perhaps he subscribes to the line of thinking, 'to be early is to be on time," Azrael said with equal bluntness before pulling out a pair of binoculars from within his robe putting them to his eyes. "From what Oracle told me, Batman believes Crux to be a wolf in sheep's clothing, so much so that Bruce Wayne has announced his intention to run for mayor. Truly, he must be a fiend tempered from the hottest corners of Hell to concern him in such a way."

"...speaking of Hell," Robin turned back to Azrael and changed the subject, "where have you been all these years? Most of us figured you were dead after that fight with Scratch, but we could never find your body."

"Recuperating," Azrael snapped with so much curtness that Robin jumped back slightly when he tried to approach the man who once stood in for Batman during an injury he sustained against the monstrous Bane. "It is not something I am prepared to talk about at this point in time."

"...is that you, Jean-Paul?"

The question caused Azrael to lower his binoculars and turn to Robin, who continued pressing forward. "As good as it is to have Azrael back in Gotham, ever since Batman told us you saved him, we've all been a little curious if that's really our old friend underneath the mask," the Boy Wonder said before lowering his hood to reveal the short black hair and young face covered by a thin black mask over his eyes. "I think we'd all feel a little more at ease if we knew for sure it was you."

Azrael tensed up to a point where Robin wondered if Azrael was going to attack, as he had early in their working relationship. Even though this Azrael seemed to know enough about Batman to know that it was Bruce Wayne under the cape and cowl, Robin needed a little more convincing to be sure that it was Jean-Paul Valley underneath the altered costume and familar title. Though Robin acted friendly up to that point, he still remembered when Jean-Paul, in one of his more unstable moments struggling with the brainwashing he underwent in his youth, almost strangled him to death in the Batcave. That was just one of the many red flags Jean-Paul raised that forced Bruce Wayne to reclaim the mantle of Batman when Jean-Paul proved to be unfit for the momentous role he was given.

A second later, Azrael pulled off his hood to reveal long blonde hair, blue eyes, and a clean-shaven face. Though was not quite as young as he was the last time they met, Tim could recognize Jean-Paul's face a mile away. "...will this do, Tim?" Jean-Paul asked quietly with the usual serious expression he carried when he was still an active member of Batman's group.

"Yeah, I just had to make sure," Robin replied before both of them pulled their hoods back over their heads and turned back to their target in the window.

To their surprise, Crux was no longer there, and both of them worried that their mistrust of one another, however brief it was, caused them to lose sight of their prize and ruin the mission. Quickly looking down at the entrance of the restaurant, the two breathed a sigh of relief when they saw Crux standing at the front waiting for his car to come pick him up. Once again, nothing particularly out of the ordinary for a citizen of Gotham as Crux whistled a tune while waiting for his car to pull up.

A few seconds later, the valet of the restaurant pulled up with Crux's dark brown car, handing him the key while Crux pulled out a dollar bill which the valet graciously accepted. "I didn't have a chance to bug his car before the valet got to it when he came in," Robin said was a bit of anxiousness as he turned away from the rooftop and prepared to run in whatever direction the car went. "If we're going to catch his secret meeting, we're going to have to chase him down on foot."

"Of course," Azrael replied quietly as the lights of Crux's car brightened and the target began driving westward. With their bodies springing into action, Robin and Azrael ran across the rooftop and with a mighty leap, jumped to the neighboring building with their long capes allowing them to glide through the air and give them the extra thrust needed to make the jump safely. There would be no time to rest, as they quickly rushed from that rooftop and jumped to the next one.

"Hey, sorry about putting pressure on you back there," Robin shouted as the two sailed through the air once more as they reached the end of the block. Looking down to see that they had taken the lead in front of where Crux's car was situated many stories below, the two vigilantes took deep, concentrated breaths while Robin continued speaking, "I just...had to make sure it was you. The past couple of years, we've been messed with so many times that we can't tell who is friend or foe."

"You were right to be suspicious," Azrael said curtly while the Crux's car passed through the traffic light and resumed its quest to its unknown destination, forcing Azrael and Robin to resume their marathon across the rooftops. "Years ago, I wronged you and the house of Batman in some of the worst ways imaginable, betraying your trust and using the Dark Knight's legacy to act out my own twisted desires. Even if Batman has forgiven me, I will never forgive myself for what I did. Now that I have returned, I will resume my quest to redeem myself."

"Don't beat yourself up over it. You were a victim, and you've helped us so much since then that it's all water under the bridge," Robin replied as the two reached the end of the field of rooftops that they'd be able to just jump from if they wanted to continue pursuing Crux. Seeing Crux's vehicle pull out into the busy crossroads of the city, the two vigilantes pulled out their grappling hooks and latched onto a lamppost below them. Swooping down into the busy streets below, Robin and Azrael sailed downwards and took a moment to enjoy the thrill of soaring through the air in their own unique fashion.

Though Azrael's expression was impossible to read with his costume that covered his face entirely, Robin's expression was very easy to read as the hood covering his head was pushed back by the gust of wind blowing in his face, revealing a smile as he pulled out a small cookie-sized device from his utility belt while his other hand kept a tight grip on his rope. In one single motion, Robin removed the device from his utility belt and flung it onto the bumper of Crux's vehicle before he and Azrael swooped upwards, performed an aerial flip, and landed gracefully on the awning of a clothing store. All the while, Robin remained smiling as he recounted the thrill he just experienced of soaring through the air with all eyes on him, as well as the amazed murmurings of the citizens of Gotham as they watched Robin and Azrael fire their grappling hooks again to ascend through the concrete canyons of Gotham and resume their chase.

"I have not seen Batgirl since I have returned to Gotham," Azrael suddenly said after what seemed like an eternity of silently pursuing Crux as his vehicle ventured deeper through Gotham City as the bright lights of the city gave way to the darkened corridors of the less savory parts of the area. "Is she doing well?"

"Nightwing took her and Stephanie to Titans Tower in San Francisco: Batman said it'd be good for both of them to apply for Teen Titans membership," Robin replied as they rose back up to the rooftops, climbing onto a thirty-story building and taking a moment to rest. "That means it's just going to be you, me, and Oracle for keeping Batman from doing something crazy. Like you said, this Crux guy has him spooked to a point where he won't tell us everything. That means we'll have to do the legwork ourselves while the boss does one of his 'loner' acts."

"...are you and Spoiler still close?" Azrael asked.

To that question, Robin only smirked before pulling his hood back over his head and pulling out yet another device from his utility belt: a radar screen that would tell them exactly where Crux was heading. "That's not something I'm prepared to talk about at this point in time," the Boy Wonder said coyly.

* * *

"I don't like this, boss," Boris said in his slightly-drawled voice as he opened the door and let his employer step out of his limousine. "You ain't like Thorne or the other mobsters that pretend to be classy: you're the real deal. You shouldn't have to drive out under the Gotham bridge to meet with some guy who wants to be mayor. You should be in a fancy restaurant with all of the fancy food and women and waiters."

"I appreciate your sentiment, Boris," the boss said as he straightened his business suit and tossed away the toothpick in his mouth. "It's true, Mr. Crux and I still adhere to the veneer of legitimacy, but it's best that I stay out of the public spotlight for now. It wouldn't look good if Roland Daggett was shown shaking hands with a hopeful candidate for mayor when there's already so many questions lingering about my hostile takeover bid of Ace Chemicals was turned down by the city council. It would make it seem as if I was going behind their backs by supporting a candidate that would approve it."

"...gee, boss, you think of everything," Boris said with a smile as Daggett patted him on his broad shoulders. "That's why you call the shots on the West End of Gotham."

"That's why if everything continues to go according to plan, Boris, I'll be able to call the shots on the North, South, and East Ends, as well," Daggett said with a smile as his second bodyguard stepped out of the driver's side of the limo and closed the door behind him. "Crux is just the sort of mayor this city needs: someone who will realize that I'm what's best for the evolution of Gotham into a major international hub for commerce. He'll do what I say, and in turn, I'll allow him to be my driver in the limo that is Gotham."

Though that's what he told Boris, the true reason Daggett wanted to keep out of the spotlight and instead conduct this clandestine meeting was that he had been having considerable difficulty conducting his business before Crux approached him the month prior asking for campaign money. Only a few years before, Roland Daggett was on equal footing with Bruce Wayne when it came to who directed the ecomonic growth of Gotham City. With his broad shoulders and powerful physique, the red-haired Daggett commanded respect in every field he entered...especially the criminal underworld.

Not only was Roland Daggett a brilliant businessman with several legitimate operations, he was also one of the most visible faces in organized crime. Daggett wrested control from what was left of the original crime families of Gotham City and used his influence to further fuel his ultimate ambition: to become the most recognized and respected corporate leader in Gotham City, and surpass his rival Bruce Wayne as the one the nation considered "the face of Gotham."

Unfortunately for Daggett, his rapid ascent through Gotham's hierarchy of crime did not escape the notice of the Batman, and eventually word of Daggett's criminal activities spread to Commissioner Gordon. Thanks to the Dark Knight and his allies, Daggett would be continuously halted whenever it looked like he would reach the top of Gotham, and in recent months his empire was beginning to sag. Whereas he was once a certifiable billionaire, now he was just another millionaire that needed to work extra hard to make ends meet for his many companies.

There was a taint to his name now that kept potential investors from truly devoting themselves to him as they would have as little as a year before. The name "Daggett" was now associated with shady business dealings and unethical practices, and ever since the press got word of his dealings in the underworld, he was now called "Daggett the Dagger," thanks to his reputation of stabbing even close business partners in the back by throwing the blame on them when one of his failed criminal schemes went public.

Watching a familar brown car pull up next to the garage of the now-abandoned Daggett West Industrial Complex, Roland reminded himself of why he had to have this clandestine meeting with the bispectacled man that stepped out of the car with a cooler in his hand. Daggett had just finished climbing out of bankruptcy and announcing the re-opening of Daggett Industries when Tammany Crux came to his doorstep asking to help fund his campaign under the table. He had been very careful about being too visible to the press since Batman finally moved on from him, thinking he was no longer a threat to Gotham City's chain of command, but Crux made Daggett so many promises that he couldn't help but consider them.

"...you should have joined me at the restaurant," Crux said with that friendly smile of his that helped win him the candidacy in the first place. "They have the best pastrami sandwiches in all of Gotham City. They grill the meat just enough so that it retained its chewiness, and then get the bread crunchy enough to give the lettuce and onions the perfect complement to the perfect sandwich."

"Perhaps once the election is over, we can go there in celebration," Daggett replied before stepping forward into the flickering light of the lamp that was still lit outside of the complex even though it had been abandoned. Boris was right: he shouldn't have to meet Crux in a place such as this. Daggett had an office at the main headquarters of Daggett Industries in the North End of Gotham that would have been much more preferable to the hollow ghost of what had once been a symbol of his dominance in Gotham.

Maybe that's why Crux chose this place: he wanted to remind Daggett just how much he needed him.

"I would very much enjoy that," Crux said with an even bigger smile as he reached out and shook Daggett's hand, watching Boris and the limo driver follow behind with their hands in their pockets. "It's always a pleasure to meet your employees, Mr. Daggett. As the future mayor of this city, I enjoy talking to the blue-collar citizens of Gotham as well as the white-collars." Stepping away from Daggett and towards the two men, Crux shook their hands as well. "I'm Tammany Crux. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"I'm Boris, and this is Stan," Boris motioned slightly to his equally-large gray-haired counterpart as his eyes shifted to the cooler hanging from Crux's shoulder by a strap. "What's in the cooler? Did you bring any brews for us to share?"

"Mmmm...not quite, big guy," Crux said as he put his hand on Boris's shoulder once they broke the handshake. Looking into Boris' eyes, Crux spoke in a tone of voice that sounded kind and gentle on the outside, but belied a hidden meaning that a career thug like Boris could detect perfectly. "What's in this cooler is something that I can't share with you right now...but if you come to my office one day, I can set you up for an appointment."

Boris shuddered as Crux turned away and walked back to Daggett, to a point where Stan turned to him with a look of concern on his face. "What's the matter, Boris?" Stan whispered as he noticed the color drain from his colleague's face. "You look like Scarecrow got to you."

"I-I wish Scarecrow got to me. Then I could tell myself that it's all in my head," Boris sputtered out as his eyes remained fixated on the man that had just shook his hand, focusing on the very faint blood stain on the plastic cooler. "He might be putting on a smile now, but that Crux guy...he's got the voice of a stone cold killer. He might be fooling the chumps at City Hall, but for people like us, who've been around killers and psychos for a living...that guy is the kind of guy you wouldn't want to cross, especially if he's going to be mayor."

"Is that right?" Stan whispered back. "He don't look that scary to me."

"...what did you say to Boris that has him so shaken up?" Daggett asked while he looked back to his bodyguard.

"Maybe he's just shy around famous people," Crux said with a shrug before taking the cooler off of his shoulder and putting it in front of him. "As promised, I have the material I said I'd give you once you delivered to me the personnel needed for my doctor's office. It's good to know that I have someone supporting me who realizes that even though I might be running the city, I'm still a doctor and I like to heal the people of Gotham."

Daggett noticed the small smidge of blood on the cooler, but instead of recoiling from it, Daggett smiled. It was the same sort of cruel smile that struck fear into the hearts of businessman that tried to squirm out of the many takeover bids he conducted as the head of Daggett Industries. It was the same sort of cruel smile that struck fear into the crime lords that thought they were the ones controlling Daggett, and not the other way around. It was the same sort of cruel smile that made anyone who worked with him fall in line and realize that the truth of the situation was that they were working for him.

It was the cruel smile of Roland Daggett that he put on only when something truly devious succeeded.

Opening the cooler and looking at its contents, Daggett's smile widened before closing the cooler and looking back up to the cheerful Crux. "With your help, very soon the name Daggett Industries will be associated with top-quality medical care and hope that even the most life-threatening injuries can be treated at an affordable price," the businessman said as he took the cooler from Crux's hand and slung it around his shoulder. "I trust you have the rest of my request in your trunk?"

"In my office, actually," Crux corrected Daggett before seeing Stan walk over to him with a suitcase in his hand. Tilting his glasses with a raised eyebrow, Crux waited for Stan to stand in front of him and open the suitcase to reveal a stack of papers with the unmistakable outlines of architectural maps. "I trust these are the plans for that new complex you want to build on Park Row? It's going to look suspicious being you tried building there before."

"I have complete faith in your abilities to make this happen, Mr. Crux," Daggett replied with a grin as Stan closed the suitcase and handed it to Crux, who nodded his head in appreciation. "You see, you're not the first mayoral candidate I've helped put in office, but most of those mayors lacked the self-control or the guts necessary to do what is best for Gotham City. As such, they've come and gone with absolutely no staying power or ability to get re-elected, and they have nothing to blame but their own incompetence."

There was a very faint flicker in Crux's eyes, and his smile suddenly disappeared in favor of a more serious expression. "...am I one of those people, Mr. Daggett?"

"No, Mr. Crux," Daggett answered Crux with a chilling smile. "Unlike those other fools, you'll be a mayor that isn't afraid to get his hands dirty. Most of those mayors would rely on their minions to do things that they were too afraid to do...but you, you're willing to go into the trenches and personally fix this city, and that is something that I find very, very attractive in a potential candidate..."

"Hey, you!"

Turning away from Crux, Daggett turned around to see Boris and Stan shouting at someone unseen in the shadows of the night. In a god-forsaken slum such as this, it was very easy for some thug or vagrant to sneak up on an unsuspecting fool dumb enough to there at night, which was a big reason why Boris and Stan came along with him. Someone with Daggett's reputation would be a magnet for trouble if he came alone, and Crux no doubt felt the same way. "Come on out before we pull you out, and trust me when we say that you don't want that!"

Pulling out their handguns, Boris and Stan prepared to fill the alleyway with the sound of gunfire and the smell of blood when the figure they spotted stepped out into the light. Instead of a thug or vagrant, however, what stepped in plain view was a neatly-dressed individual wearing a black button-up shirt with green pinstripes under a purple necktie with a green question mark in the center, as well as matching dress pants with the same pattern. Taking off his green derby to reveal his brown hair, the thin man put his unique question-mark tipped cane to the ground and bowed politely. "Riddle me this, gentlemen," he began as he twirled his derby effortlessly around his gloved hand. "On what body of water is everything forgiven?"

"...Riddler," Daggett growled as Riddler put his derby back on his head while Boris and Stan continued to aim their handguns at him. "I don't know what kind of a game your sick mind is up to, you derelict, but I doubt anyone would miss you if my men left your broken body in this-"

"Under the bridge."

Daggett turned back to Crux as the mayoral candidate stepped forward and smiled. "When you say you forgive someone for something bad they did, you say that it's water under the bridge."

Riddler's eyes brightened underneath his purple party mask as he slung his cane over his shoulder. "Mr. Daggett, your friend is very bright. Usually the people that come into this alley are about as sharp as a rubber ball you'd give to a child." Casually strolling over to where Crux and Daggett were standing, Riddler put his cane back on the ground and leaned against it. "What brings two fine upstanding citizens like you to this part of the town at this hour? I would think men of your stature would be living it up in Tower of Babylon."

"I ask the questions here, Riddler," Daggett shouted before giving Riddler a sharp shove, causing him to stumble backwards and fall onto his bottom. With Stan and Boris pointing their guns at Riddler, Daggett folded his arms. "What are you doing here? If you've been spying on us, rest assured that my men here will make sure that you won't do so again."

Riddler's eyes narrowed as he looked at the guns pointed directly at him. Unlike Daggett, Riddler did absolutely nothing to hide his criminal background, having made a name for himself as one of the earliest costumed criminals in Gotham City and one of Batman's most persistent enemies. However, whereas many of Batman's adversaries reveled in bloodshed and killing, Riddler's crimes were largely designed to humiliate and steal from the citizens of Gotham City. Furthermore, he often insisted that he be allowed to run plans as the undisputed leader, which alienated many of the crime lords of Gotham City and led to many conflicts of interest.

He'd been threatened by much worse than this, but as he wrapped his fingers around his cane, he did not use it to strike out at his aggressors. Instead, he stood back up and slung it back over his shoulder like nothing was wrong. "In case you haven't heard, Mr. Daggett, I've put the life of crime behind me. I now work as a private detective that uses his talents for the betterment of Gotham. I am here strictly on business, so I ask that you call me by the name I put on my tax papers, Mr. Edward Nygma."

"Is that right?" Crux stepped between Boris and Stan and outstretched his hand. "In that case, Mr. Nygma, I might need your talents in the future once I am the mayor. My name is Tammany Crux."

Riddler looked at the hand pensively, and then at Crux's face...and saw that same fatal flicker in Crux's eyes that sent a chill down Boris. Remaining as confident as ever even with that revelation, Riddler quickly shook Crux's hand before breaking the handshake and walking towards Crux's car. "Mr. Crux, since you seem to be a fellow thinker, be so kind of as to riddle me this: what is always broken, but people keep asking for?"

"...silence," Crux answered quietly with the sort of fatalistic tone that caused Boris to gulp as he heard what Crux had to say. No sooner had those words escaped those lips, however, Crux smiled once again and patted Daggett on the shoulder. "I like this guy, Roland," Crux said as Riddler put his hand on the car, seemingly admiring the craftsmanship of the vehicle. "Let's just leave him be for now. We have what we came for, anyway."

"...as you wish, Mr. Crux," Daggett said before motioning for his men to turn away from Riddler and towards his limo. Watching Crux get into his own vehicle with his new suitcase in tow, Daggett waved farewell to Riddler before issuing a warning. "Mr. Nygma, please remember that even though you are not Batman, a costumed man of justice isn't very welcome in Gotham City. With your background, you might find yourself caught between a rock and a hard place..."

As the two cars drove away, Riddler took a moment to look at what he had pulled from Crux's car long before he revealed himself to the two parties: a small tracking device that he had seen several times in the past, mostly due to how they were used on him. "So he's already figured it out, huh?" Riddler mumbled before tossing the tracking device into a nearby garbage can. As he did so, he looked up to the rooftops, scanning the area for anything that seemed out of the ordinary...and sure enough, found what he was looking for.

Seeing two figures looking down at him, Riddler smiled and tipped his hat to the two aerial observers and went on his way.


	4. Chapter 4

Even though a week had passed since he was last within Wayne Towers, Jean-Paul Valley couldn't help but feel a tinge of nostalgia as he walked through the crowded lobby once more. In what seemed like a lifetime ago, Jean-Paul made ends meet as a security guard for Wayne Enterprises, after being personally hired by Bruce Wayne following his debut as the Angel of Death, Azrael. That was back when he was still a loyal member of the secret Order of St. Dumas, and still believed that the Order believed in things like justice and righteousness.

Once again, that was a lifetime ago. Though only a couple of years had passed since the world believed him to be dead, Jean-Paul Valley might as well have been gone for much longer given how much Gotham City had changed since then. The Order was no more, after Jean-Paul exposed them to be just another band of villains that Gotham had a frightening abundance of. Perhaps now that he was back in Gotham City, Jean-Paul could put all of those memories behind him and take his place in where he truly belonged: using his talents to protect the people of Gotham from ever having to endure the trials that the Order put them through.

Taking another moment to soak in his surroundings, Jean-Paul turned to the left to see the security guard sitting patiently behind a wooden desk, with plenty of computer monitors sat on top of one another. Though it seemed like a lifetime ago, it wasn't that long ago that the desk was reserved for him. It was more or less a place-holder duty that Bruce Wayne gave Jean-Paul to keep him from needlessly plunging himself into danger as Azrael, but the thrill of working for a major global corporation gave Jean-Paul plenty of reason to smile. After all, he was just a college student trying to make ends meet before the Order of St. Dumas came into his life: it wasn't like being Azrael was something that he always knew he'd do.

Approaching the security desk, Jean-Paul straightened his tie and cleared his throat. "Excuse me, sir," the young man said politely as the security guard turned to look at him. "...I have an appointment with Mr. Wayne. Could you please notify him that Jean-Paul Valley is here to speak with him?"

"Valley, Valley, Valley...here you are," the security guard muttered as he ran his finger down the notebook that was covered with writings and scribbles, no doubt from all of the accomodations and cancellations that Bruce Wayne's secretary gave him. It was another reminder of just how different Jean-Paul's life was from the man that he once replaced at Batman. Jean-Paul's civilian life for the past several years was little more than an alter-ego that passed the time until it was necessary for him to don the costume of Azrael. Bruce Wayne's civilian life was ripe with contacts and meetings that frequently sent shockwaves across Gotham City.

Being Azrael was something that Jean-Paul was literally bred to do, and something that was as much of a part of him as a vital organ. Being Batman was something that Bruce Wayne thrust upon himself, an entity of his own creation that he kept hidden within himself in order to maintain his facade of normalcy to the many, many people that went to do business with him. That was yet another reason why Jean-Paul could never truly supplant Bruce as the Batman, even if Bruce allowed him to done the costume again. Bruce could shed his Dark Knight persona at will: Jean-Paul could not.

Pressing a button on his desk, the security guard leaned down next to a microphone and spoke. "Mr. Wayne, there's a Mr. Jean-Paul Valley to see you."

"...excellent. Please send him up."

Bruce Wayne's voice was always so pleasant and friendly, which was yet another thing that Jean-Paul Valley had great difficulty performing whenever he was out of costume. The brainwashing that the Order of St. Dumas put him through had warped Jean-Paul's personality to a point where he felt naked any time he wasn't in costume, even after the Order was destroyed. Whenever he was regular Jean-Paul, he was very tense and shy around other people, even those that would be his friends. Bruce Wayne, on the other hand, could mask his true personality with such mastery that the connection between him and Batman was about as clear as the darkness that they thrived in when they patrolled the streets.

"...go up that elevator over there and Bruce's office should be on the 25th floor," the guard stood up from his seat and leaned over his desk, pointing at the large blue doors on the far wall of the lobby. Turning back to Jean-Paul, the man narrowed his eyes and gave him a quizzical look before saying something else. "Hey...didn't you use to work here?"

"I, uh...no, you have me mistaken for someone else," Jean-Paul stammered before turning to head for the elevator. He hoped that wearing his glasses would have prevented some of the longer-tenured employees of Wayne Enterprises from recognizing him from his brief time working there, but it would seem that Jean-Paul underestimated the guard's memory. During that time, the guard at the desk was a night watchman that would take over Jean-Paul's shift when it was time for him to leave.

"No...no, I remember your name now," the guard said with a smile before outstretching his hand in friendship. "You don't have to play dumb with me, Jean-Paul. Ever since you've left, the people around here that were around back then have been wondering where you went off to. I asked Mr. Wayne about it, and he said you were pursuing other endeavors. Most of us figured that meant he fired you and didn't want to say why. Are you trying to get back in the boss' good graces?"

"You could...say that," Jean-Paul replied nervously before slowly shaking his hand. "I don't want to keep him waiting, Mr. Jenkins. Could we talk about this some other time?"

"Come on, Jean: you're old enough now to call me 'Ollie' like everyone else," the guard said with a smile before patting Jean-Paul on the back. "So are the ladies still chasing you down like they did in the old days? There were some real fine pieces of booty looking to get a piece of yours back when you worked here. A silent handsome type like you must have scored with an Amazon tribe's worth of babes while you were gone!"

"...nothing permanent yet," Jean-Paul replied with a pause and a hint of embarassment before walking towards the elevator. "If I do find someone, I'll be first to let you know..."

A lifetime ago, Jean-Paul wouldn't have been able to pursue a relationship with a woman even if he wanted to, for the call of Azrael would have made it too dangerous to keep a steady one. But again, it was a lifetime ago. Perhaps now that he was back in Gotham City, free from the Order's tyranny, he could start reclaiming the life he once had before the mantle of Azrael fell on his shoulders...

* * *

"Hello, Jean-Paul,"

Bruce Wayne smiled as the door to his office opened to reveal Jean-Paul Valley wearing a short-sleeved button-up white shirt and red tie. Turning to the man sitting on the other side his desk, the owner of Wayne Enterprises stood up from his seat and shook the man's hand. "Mr. Ryder, I'm glad you were able to come today. I hope what I said answered the questions that you didn't have a chance to ask before what happened at the press conference last week."

"I still think it was a little too convenient that you get attacked by a well-known psychopath just as you started talking about how you're going to clean up the city...but at least I can rest easy knowing that it wasn't staged," the reporter said with that same aggressive demeanor that he always carried with him, regardless of how other people felt about him. "When I talk about this on tonight's news, you better believe I won't be pulling any punches. I'll be saying everything you told me today...and I mean everything!"

"That's the way I'd like it," Bruce replied as Jack turned away from him and walked past Jean-Paul. "If I'm going to be the mayor of this city, I need the people of Gotham to believe in every word I say. There's no room for censorship with the city's future at stake."

Watching Ryder close the door behind him, Jean-Paul turned back to Bruce and watched his expression suddenly harden. "What a curious choice of words," Jean-Paul said quietly as he took a seat in front of Bruce's desk and watched him sit down. "You run a campaign for mayor preaching honesty and truth, yet you continue to hide your true self from the world. It's the same trap that many mayors before you fell in before they left office in disgrace..."

"Nothing I have said during my campaign has been untruthful, Jean-Paul," Bruce said solemnly as he folded his hands and rested his chin against them. "I have meant every word I've said in my interviews and conferences, and will continue giving the people of Gotham the brutal truth about the state of this city." Looking up to make eye contact with Jean-Paul, Bruce spoke to his recently-returned ally once more. "Tim told me that you had a run-in with Daggett last night."

"He and Crux met in the slums under the Gotham Bridge," Jean-Paul explained with equal seriousness. "They were exchanging some sort of secret material, though we weren't able to get a good look at what Crux gave Daggett. He mentioned something about having more of what he brought back at his office, and in return, Daggett gave Crux blueprints for a new industrial complex for Park Row."

"...years ago, Daggett tried to raze Park Row for a new housing complex, and he wasn't picky about whether or not the residents were still living there when he started demolition. Batman was able to stop him, but he's tried many times to get that project back underway. If Crux is in his pocket, then he might actually succeed if Crux becomes mayor," Bruce said with more than a hint of disdain as his fingers tightened around his knuckles. "You're fortunate not to have dealt with Daggett when he was in his prime: there were times when he was looking to position himself as Gotham's undisputed leader in both the legal and illegal realms. It took all of my skills to force him to declare bankruptcy, but I was never able to get enough dirt to stick to him that would keep him behind bars."

Even though he did not have personal experience with Daggett, Jean-Paul spent that morning and afternoon doing all of the research necessary to become familiar with Crux's accomplice. He might not have been an Arkham regular or a so-called "supervillain" bent on world domination, but Roland Daggett was every bit as dangerous and as crafty as the psychopaths that Batman contended with. His evil was a different kind of villainy that the Arkham inmates had to offer: a heartless, conniving sort of strategic evil that hid behind the veneer of legitimacy. Men like Daggett would use the law as a shield to hide behind when it was convenient, but behind closed doors he treated morals and human decency as mere suggestions that he willfully ignored.

He was the type of person Crux should have had nothing to do with, much less accept money from in secret.

"...you're thinking about Crux, aren't you?"

Jean-Paul snapped out of his trance as Bruce brought him back to reality with what seemed like a question that read his mind. Slowly nodding his head once, Bruce let out a sigh before continuing. "Before his candidacy, Tammany Crux was a well-respected surgeon, born and raised in Gotham City. He graduated second in his class in medical school, unmarried with no children, no criminal record, and enjoys golfing in his spare time. His campaign motive is that he intends to heal Gotham as if it were another patient, using his empathy with his patients as an analogy for his empathy with the citizens. To an outside observer, he's completely clean...but if he's working for Daggett, there's more to him than meets the eye."

_In fact, I am rather certain that there's more to Crux than meets the eye. The story he gave me when I first met him is too coincidental, _Bruce thought to himself as he watched Jean-Paul seemingly drift off again in his own thoughts. _Until I have enough proof that Crux is secretly Tommy Elliott, I'll leave my suspicions to myself. Tommy turned our ranks upside-down in his first attack, and there's no telling what he'll do if I confront him this early. _

"Mr. Wayne, there's a Mr. Nygma here to see you."

Jean-Paul's blue eyes lit up upon hearing the intercom, remembering quite vividly how the meeting he and Robin infiltrated ended. Just when it was beginning to look like Azrael and Robin would dig up some real dirt on both Daggett and Crux, along came the aforementioned Mr. Nygma to make a complete mess of everything. On top of that, Mr. Nygma pulled the tracer off of Crux's car to prevent them from pursuing Crux after the fact. Why in the world was the Riddler, one of Batman's oldest enemies, in Wayne Enterprises with an appointment with Bruce Wayne?

"Send him up."

Jean-Paul gave Bruce a very confused look as those words left his lips. "Mr. Wayne," Jean-Paul managed to say in his shock, still not quite comprehending what was happening. Even though Batman had encountered many enemies that would up becoming his ally, the Riddler wasn't just another misunderstood individual that meant well but couldn't help himself. The Riddler was one of the more visible blights on Gotham City that frequently endangered the lives of innocents and threatened the well-being of the City as a whole. In Jean-Paul's eyes, the Riddler was every bit as bad as Mr. Freeze, the Joker, Poison Ivy, Two-Face, and the countless others that threatened the people of Gotham almost daily.

Men like the Riddler were why Bruce Wayne became the Batman, which led to Jean-Paul's question after what seemed like an eternity of uneasy silence, "...what are you doing?"

"...a lot has changed since you were last in Gotham City, Jean-Paul," Bruce said quietly as the door to the office quickly opened to reveal the wiry Riddler, smiling from ear-to-ear as he playfully twirled his cane in his hand. "I allow a lot of freedom for you and the others to pursue cases in your own unique manner. In return, all I ask is that you give me the same trust that I gave you, and allow me to pursue cases my own way."

"Yes, but...but he's-"

"What I am, young man, is Bruce Wayne's legally hired private detective that he has consulted to aid him in the case he has assigned me," Riddler said with his smile widening before oustretching his hand to shake his employer's hand. "Mr. Wayne, let me begin my saying that is so good to see you again. Working for you is the greatest affirmation of my genius that I could possibly achieve. The thought that you've finally accepted my talents puts a smile on my face when I go to sleep at night."

This time, Bruce did not stand up from his seat or shake the hand of his guest. Instead, he remained sitting with his hands still folded in front of him, looking up to Riddler with the unmistakable glare of the Batman on his face. "I did not bring you here for pleasantries, Riddler," Bruce growled with such disdain that Riddler pulled his hand way in fear that he might decide to break it. "I brought you here so you could give me an update on your case."

Riddler's smile turned into a sneer as he gave Batman a defiant glare of his own. "...listen, Bruce, the tough guy act might look good in the papers right now, but don't forget that you were the one who came to me. If you want me to help you track down this killer surgeon, I ask that you treat me with a little more respect than that...ESPECIALLY if the said killer is who we think it is!"

"The killer surgeon...no way," Jean-Paul whispered before standing up from his seat and grabbing Riddler by his collar. Before Riddler could react, Jean-Paul quickly rushed forward until he rammed Riddler's back against the wall, with the entire room vibrating as his body made impact. With Riddler groaning in pain, Jean-Paul lifted Batman's longtime enemy off the ground and growled. "You bastard...how dare you come in here interfering with our lives? How much do you know about us, you piece of trash!? "

"Let him go, Jean-Paul," Bruce said quietly.

"But...but he knows about your case...about all of us," Jean-Paul protested as he started trembling with so much anger and confusion that his glasses were beginning to become unbalanced on his face. "This is one of Gotham's most vile criminals: we can't let him leave here with the knowledge that-"

"I've known that Mr. Wayne has been Batman for quite some time, pretty boy," Riddler interrupted as he rolled his eyes at Jean-Paul's ignorance. "I'm going to go out on a limb and say that you're that Azrael punk, unless those long blonde locks of yours is a wig and you're really Nightwing wearing a rubber mask."

"...he's a fiend," Jean-Paul protested once more.

"He's being kept on a very tight leash, but this is not the first time that Mr. Nygma has helped our ranks with cases," Bruce explained as Jean-Paul reluctantly loosened his grip on Riddler and backed away from him. "It's true, he knows my secret, but he has also forsaken his former life of crime in favor of working on his completely legitimate business of private detective. Until he decides to return to his old ways, he is an ally...even if it's just to satisfy his uncontrollable ego."

"It's not showing off if you can't back it up, Mr. Wayne," Riddler said as he straightened his tie from where Jean-Paul grabbed him and picked his green derby off of the ground. "The fact of the matter is that you require my unique insight into the matter, and I am here to give it to you. While your minions were going the obvious route of tracking Crux, I already knew he was working with Daggett, so I took the liberty of tailing him instead."

"...and what did you find out?"

"I found out that Mr. Daggett has been anonymously donating organs to Gotham General Hospital, and in return, doctors are funding him under the table. He's made at least $100,000 the past month in what his stockbroker calls 'miscellaneous profits,'" Riddler said with a smirk before going back to his old habits. "Riddle me this, Mr. Wayne: how is a surgeon like an actor?"

"...he's always looking for parts," Bruce grumbled, knowing full well the implication of Riddler's question.

Riddler's smirk gradually vanished, and the usually verbose individual was suddenly speechless to a point where Jean-Paul took note of his expression. Seeing Riddler stare blankly at the window, Jean-Paul turned his head and saw exactly what had him so spooked. Just outside Bruce's window was the very same psychopath that attacked Wayne Enterprises the week before, only this time hanging down the building like a spelunker and brandishing a machine gun. "...riddle me this," Riddler said nervously as the psychopath waved hello before putting a round into his gun and aiming into Bruce's office. "What flies through the air and curls up into a ball at the same time?"

"DUCK!"

Jean-Paul and Riddler quickly fell to the ground as the windows behind Bruce Wayne shattered and the sound of rapid gunfire roared through the air while bullets sailed through the room, implanting themselves into the wall as they hit. But even as the bullets ripped through his chair, Bruce Wayne remained perfectly still, still appearing as pensive as ever even as deadly hail of lead ran through his office. Any sane person would have ducked for cover in the wake of machine gun fire, but the ever-stoic leader of Wayne Enterprises acted as if the room was as silent and peaceful as it ever was.

Finally, after a solid twenty seconds of continuous gunfire, the familiar sound of an empty click entered Bruce's ears, causing him to slowly swivel his chair around to see the Red Hood once again waving hello while the wind rushed into the room with no windows to keep it from coming on. Even as his eyes met with his former protégé, whose own eyes were covered with impassive white slits on his red helmet, Bruce's contemplative demeanor did not change. His hands were still folded over his chin, and his expression remained stern.

After a few seconds of silence, the violence-craving Red Hood suddenly started ascending Wayne Towers with the rope coming from his wrist retracting to lift him upwards. "...he's not getting away," Jean-Paul growled as he stood back up with his lips curled into a snarl. "How dare he attack you in your own office, while there were still people working here? He deserves to be put in his place."

"If he wanted to kill me, he would have done so," Bruce stated as Jean-Paul prepared to head for the door. "If you chase after him now, all you'll do is encourage his behavior and the next attack will be even worse."

"...there won't be a next attack, Mr. Wayne," Jean-Paul said with a familiar chill in his voice before closing the door.

* * *

The primary reason Bruce Wayne forcefully stripped Jean-Paul Valley of the mantle of Batman wasn't because of inexperience, pedigree, or even Bruce Wayne missing the role. Rather, the reason Jean-Paul was expelled from Batman's circle was because during his stint as the Dark Knight, he exhibited a type of rage and bloodlust that was clearly unsuitable for the role. Batman's promise of violence upon criminals was what kept Batman credible for so many years, but he also made it a point not to go too far and become the evil that he sought to eradicate. When Jean-Paul Valley became Batman, the Order's brainwashing came into full effect and he became every bit as bad as the criminals he sought to vanquish.

It was only through Batman's mercy and sympathy that Jean-Paul didn't go to prison, and even now he still felt the need to repay the debt he owned him.

As he finished putting on his costume, however, Jean-Paul Valley felt the full wrath of Azrael well up inside of him as he opened the fire door to the roof and laid eyes on the young man who in his eyes was one of the "unforgiven." After encountering him the week before, Azrael learned as much about the Red Hood as he could while attempting to track down his whereabouts, but the more he learned about him, the more he grew to hate him. Through Oracle, Azrael learned that Red Hood was the Robin prior to Tim Drake: the highest honor someone in the Batman family could achieve short of being Batman himself. To be a Robin was to be considered for one day taking Bruce Wayne's place as Batman, and it was a position that Jean-Paul recognized as being considered "the next in line" for the cape and cowl.

And despite that, this former Robin was attacking his surrogate father for the second time in two weeks brandishing the villainous firearms that Batman forbade. Instead of using the gifts and training Batman bestowed upon him for redeeming his honor after being defeated, this Red Hood was instead exploiting his knowledge of Batman's secrets to serve his own twisted purposes. Batman's training that he gave his underlings were supposed to be a mark of honor and justice, but Red Hood perverted them to stand for carnage and violence.

The more Jean-Paul thought about it, the more the Azrael of old emerged, clamoring for the head of the heathen.

"...Judas," Azrael hissed as Red Hood turned around to face him. With his newly-redesigned robes flowing in the early evening winds, Azrael drew his broadsword and pointed its burning blade directly at his target. "That man is your father: he took you in when no one wanted you and made you into someone important. Why would you betray him?"

Pulling out his own bladed weapon, the dagger that he was hoping to slit Azrael's throat with in their previous encounter, Red Hood charged forward and went for a lethal thrust for Azrael's head. With Azrael intercepting the blade with his sword, Red Hood responded with his rage evident in his voice. "You have no right to judge me, you damn reject," he hissed as the flames from Azrael's sword reflected in his helmet, giving his head an almost hellish look. "You think you can preach to me when you've got blood on your hands, too!?"

Spinning down low and sweeping Azrael off of his feet, Red Hood jumped into the air and pounced onto Azrael's chest before lifting his dagger for the killing blow. "As far as I'm concerned, Azrael, you betrayed him way worse than I ever could!"

Lifting his golden gauntlet, Azrael unleashed a stream of flame that struck Red Hood directly in his head, forcing him to back off and roar in frustration as the flames blinded him. Although the helmet protected his enemy from any kind of burns, Azrael didn't really think of that when he unleashed the fire. In his midst was the worst of all sinners: a man who betrayed his parent that loved him when no one else would, and was now a blight on his parent's life. Right now, Azrael wanted nothing more than to literally watch this man burn.

Pulling out a handgun, the Red Hood fired off a full clip worth of bullets into Azrael. Though Azrael able to dodge most of them, one of the bullets struck him in his arm, drawing forth a spray of blood and forcing Azrael to drop his sword. Throwing the gun aside once the bullets had been emptied, Red Hood rushed forward and took to the air for a flying kick...but Azrael swatted him away with a mighty swing of his good arm and watched him crash to the ground.

"You are completely without honor, Judas," Azrael roared before picking him his sword with the non-injured arm and rushing towards Red Hood with the intention to run him through. "You do not deserve to even be acknowledged by him! I swear by my life that you will not threaten Bruce Wayne ever again!"

"Now...now that's my kind of bet," Red Hood shot back before flipping back to his feet and delivering a resounding punch to Azrael's jaw to send him stumbling backwards while he picked up his dagger from the ground. Brandishing his weapon for a moment, Red Hood lunged forward once again hoping to fulfill Azrael's vow. Unfortunately for him, he was so focused on murdering Azrael that he didn't notice that Azrael had already recovered and ready to give back what Red Hood gave him.

This receipt came in the form of a blow to Red Hood's stomach that he could feel even with the kevlar vest he wore underneath his brown jacket. What made Azrael a particularly troublesome foe for anyone unlucky enough to cross him was when he was truly incensed, like he was now, the Order's more severe brainwashing would come into effect and increase his strength and reflexes even further than the already-formidable level they were at normally. To Red Hood, he might as well had been hit in the stomach with a cannonball as Azrael lifted him off of the ground with his fist and then used his other arm to punch him several feet away.

Sliding across the wide roof of Wayne Towers, Red Hood pulled out a grenade and tossed it in Azrael's direction, but the enraged vigilante swatted the grenade away with his sword rather than try to avoid it. He paid for this when the grenade exploded a few feet away from him, causing him to stumble while Red Hood delivered another flying kick. This time, the attack hit true and struck Azrael directly in the side of his head, toppling him over while Red Hood backflipped away and brandished his dagger once again.

"You see, blondie...I did my homework on you after our little dance at Bruce's press conference," Red Hood said between breaths as Azrael staggered back to his feet, gripping his arm where the bullet was still lodged. "You had what everyone else in the family dreamed about practically handed to you. You didn't have to dress up red and green tights and pay your dues like the rest of us had to. Bruce went down, and then he handpicked you, a complete unknown, to take his place as Batman. And then you made a mess of it by doing such a bang-up job that Bruce had to personally get involved and strip the cape and cowl off of you."

"That was...that was a long time ago," Azrael stammered as he looked up to see Red Hood deliver a thrust kick to his face, toppling him over once again while his enemy kept the heel of his shoe lodged in Azrael's masked face.

"It wasn't that long ago, blondie," Red Hood spat back before lifting his foot up and kicking Azrael away, watching him groggily stand back up and point his flame-spewing gauntlet at him. Using all of his agility, Red Hood evaded the stream of fire that came from the gauntlet and danced around the roof while avoiding Azrael's projectile assault. "To be honest, I thought you were pretty badass at Batman. Too bad the old man thought you were stealing his thunder, or I would've come back to Gotham sooner and asked if you wanted to team up."

"You dare patronize me, after all of the atrocities you've committed!?" Azrael roared as he ended his flame volley and instead charged Red Hood just as he was about to advance. Driving his shoulder into Red Hood's chest, Azrael caused the youth to tumble backwards before jumping into the air and driving both his knees into Red Hood's sternum, bringing all of his weight down upon him. As soon as Red Hood tried to reach out and grab him, Azrael latched onto his arm and turned Red Hood over onto his belly with Red Hood's arm into his grasp.

"Batman loved you like he was your father, and you spat in his face by disgracing his mission and becoming a crime lord," Azrael hissed as he tightened his hold on Red Hood, pushing his arm into his shoulder and threatening to break the arm entirely. "He grieved over your death to a point where he was almost pushed over the edge...that he would have become the evil he sought to destroy just so he could avenge you! Now you have the audacity to-"

"THIS IS ON HIS HEAD," Red Hood blurted out before firing a flare from the trapped arm, causing Azrael to let go as the light blinded him enough to get off of his enemy. With Red Hood rolling away, the violent youth delivered a flurry of strikes to Azrael, each hit more powerful than the next. "If he avenged my death, I wouldn't have come back. If he avenged my death, then I wouldn't be so necessary to the survival of this city! But he didn't...so here I am, ready to give him a reality check!"

After the nineteenth strike, Red Hood blunted his hand in preparation for a finisher, but Azrael caught Red Hood's fingers just as they were about to reach his neck and gripped them tight enough for Red Hood to roar in pain. "Is that why you've been attacking his campaign?" Azrael growled before kicking Red Hood away and watching him grip his hand. "Is that why you are so determined to make him not become mayor?"

"...he's become arrogant," Red Hood hissed as he slowly stood back up and reached for another weapon...only to pull out a what appeared to be remote. "Bruce already runs this city, and now he thinks he's so high and mighty that he can run in from City Hall, as well. Hill, Krol, Sharp...all of them were too corrupt or too full of themselves to heal Gotham City...my precious baby girl. Gotham doesn't need people like them, and they especially don't need a bleeding heart like Bruce running this city."

"...and what does it need, Judas?" Azrael asked as he picked up his broadsword and prepared to finish the fight.

"...sorry...but that's not a question meant for you."

Pressing the button on the remote, Red Hood summoned the familiar sound of rotating helicopter rotors that quickly became louder and louder...until a large black helicopter with the skull-like insignia of the Red hood approached the rooftop of Wayne Towers with its guns pointed directed at Azrael. A moment later, the helicopter opened fire, with its twin mini-guns carving deep scars into the concrete roof as Azrael rapidly ran the opposite direction. Even one of those bullets would have been enough to pierce his body armor and kill him, but Red Hood was mad enough to completely obliterate him if it meant being rid of him.

Then, just as Azrael was about to run out of rooftop to move around on, the gunfire stopped. Quickly turning around to prepare his counterattack, Azrael cursed under his breath as he saw Red Hood finishing ascending up the rope ladder lowered by one of his gang members and taking the megaphone handed to him. "I know you can hear me, Bruce," Red Hood said haughtily as the rope ladder was pulled upward just outside of Azrael's reach. "Out of morbid curiosity, I've decided to allow you to continue your campaign and see whether or not you reveal your true colors to the people of Gotham."

"Don't speak to him, you filth," Azrael shouted back as he pointed his sword at the helicopter. "Our fight is not yet finished! Come back down here at fight me!"

"I always wondered when you'd finally throw away that ridiculous 'billionaire playboy' facade and let Gotham know what kind of person you really are, but I never imagined you'd do it just to further your own selfish ambition to run for mayor," Red Hood ignored the man that only seconds ago was ready to set him on fire, instead turning to see the news helicopter that was inching closer. "There's still a few weeks until the election, so I'm going to see how this plays out...but allow me to give you a warning."

Turning to the news helicopter, Red Hood ordered his men to open fire upon it, riddling the helicopter with bullets until one of the rotors set on fire. Watching the helicopter weakly turn away from the scene while smoke billowed from its rear, the crazed crime lord/vigilante continued his monologue. "If you say something to displease me in any way, or I detect that same old hypocrisy that I've come to associate you with...then I'll consider your Gotham and my Gotham two opposing sides, and I'll do everything in my power to raze your Gotham to the ground!"

With the helicopter turning northward, the Red Hood flung the megaphone down at Azrael's head and watched him angrily swat it away. "And here's a message for Batman, blondie," Red Hood shouted as his vehicle pulled away. "Tell Batman and the rest of his cronies that the Red Hood is going to come knocking again...and when he does, he better open the door for me, because the next time I come down, I won't miss!"

Azrael was very silent as his rage and anger simmered, watching his enemy slip through his fingers once more. As Azrael, he had stared evil in the face many times over, and seen things that would have made an ordinary man quake with fear. He probably shouldn't have been as upset as he was at that moment, and should have told himself that he would catch his enemy next time. In spite of that, however, the Angel of Death let out a roar of defiance and frustration, knowing that he had let the Red Hood get away even after promising Bruce that he wouldn't let him do so.

"I swear..." Azrael growled before kneeling down on the ground and pounding his fist into the damage rooftop. "I swear...that I will bring that Judas to justice after I make him beg for mercy and forgiveness when I drag him bleeding to Batman's feet!"


	5. Chapter 5

"Your parents must be so proud of you in Heaven, Master Bruce."

"So you've told me, Alfred," Bruce replied coyly as he finished fastening his tie while looking into the mirror of his dressing room. Normally at this time, he would be finishing up his day as Bruce Wayne and beginning his evening as Batman, patrolling the streets of Gotham for any murderers and thieves he missed the night before. But this evening, Bruce would be undertaking a very different task in a very different world. Instead of convincing the murderers and thieves that earning his ire would earn them a long and painful evening, he needed to convince the people of Gotham that he was capable of delivering a long and fruitful term in office.

As his faithful butler handed him his dress jacket, Bruce looked into the mirror one last time and stroked his chin. "...but how truthful would that be, I wonder?" the billionaire asked as he reached out put his jacket on. "My father was never one to enter the world of politics. He would always tell me that Gotham City had an illness that couldn't be treated unless the infection was rooted out, and the infection ran as deep as City Hall. Do you think that, even back then, he knew about all of the corruption?"

"Your father was a healer, Master Bruce," Alfred answered while Bruce took one last look in the mirror before turning to the door of his dressing room. "He believed that everything in life could be treated like a medical case...and I believe that his idea of the world was not far off from the truth. Gotham City is indeed very sick, and you've done a bang-up job trying to cure it from the disease that has gripped it for so many years. Perhaps if you win, you won't have to do it by playing dress-up every evening."

Bruce smirked as Alfred opened the door for him. "...you know me better than that, Alfred," he said. "I play dress-up during the day, not during the night."

Though only two weeks had passed since Bruce declared his intention to run for mayor, it had seemed like an eternity since he last pursued his ulterior motives for announcing candidacy. As Batman, he came across a series of murders that led him to believe that his opponent was not all that he seemed, and in order to deter a possible plot to commit acts of evil from City Hall, Bruce decided he would run opposite of him until he figured out what he was up to. What Batman didn't anticipate was that running a successful campaign was more time-consuming than he originally thought.

The last time Batman roamed the streets was when he was on the rooftop of Gotham City Police Department discussing with Commissioner Gordon the case of the killer surgeon: every night after that had been spent either at one of countless meetings and conferences to discuss slogans and ideals, or it had been spent at his home listening to the reports of his comrades in crimefighting. And although Bruce joked about it with Alfred, he sorely missed spending his evenings as Batman. As regular Bruce Wayne, he had to maintain a facade at all times that he wasn't the Dark Knight or the World's Greatest Detective.

He had to pretend that he wasn't who he really was.

"Mr. Wayne."

Hearing a voice that he would normally hear as Batman, Bruce turned to see Commissioner Gordon and Detective Bullock walk towards him with a cell phone in their hands. As Batman, he received aid from the two cops many times over the years, even though Bullock would often claim that Batman was just "along for the ride" whenever their cases coincided. As Bruce Wayne, however, the times they crossed paths were few and far between. This was mostly due to how Bruce would leave dealings with the police to Wayne Enterprises' security detail, who would then relay the information to him.

A more subtle reason was that, despite how often they requested Batman's aid in their cases, Gordon and Bullock were far from stupid. If they spent enough time around Bruce Wayne, it wouldn't take too long to realize that they had spoken to him far more times than appearances would reveal. Gordon took enough liberties by allowing Batman to dish out his own unique brand of justice outside of official jurisdiction, but Batman didn't want to put his longtime friend in a situation where he would have no choice but to bring him in for questioning.

"...did you find anything?" Bruce asked Gordon as his expression hardened, not wanting to sound saccharine in regards to the reason the two officers were approaching him. "That young man has attacked me twice now, and you know what they say about three times."

"Yeah, well, I don't think you want the kind of charm that psycho kid has to offer, y'know?" Bullock butted in as he put his cell phone away. "We've got snipers on eight different roofs around the area, and thirty cops all waiting for something suspicious to happen. This town has had all kinds of crazies try to stir things up as these political debates, thinking that they're doing something important by making a mess of two old farts arguing over crap. If Red Ridin' Hood wants to crash your party, then he's gonna have to deal with the GCPD first."

"I certainly hope so, detective," Bruce replied before turning to Gordon. "I'm used to people aiming for my head, but I want to make sure that the people of Gotham aren't in any kind of danger. I want people to listen to me because I have something to offer them, rather than have them cower in fear every time I make a public appearance."

"Unfortunately, Mr. Wayne, there are a lot of people in this city who don't care about the welfare of their fellow person," Gordon added grimly before pulling out a cigarette. Placing it in his mouth as his fumbled for a lighter, Gordon continued with his teeth holding his cigarette in place. "That Red Hood is deluded enough to think that he offers Gotham City the same kind of protection that Batman has given us for so long, but he doesn't realize that the body count is exactly why we've put a warrant out for him and not for Batman. If that boy really wants to help, he'd just leave you alone."

Even though Gordon didn't realize how much Bruce agreed with him, he knew that Jason would never allow that to happen. Ever since revealing himself to still be alive after being presumed dead for years, Jason made it his mission to prove to his mentor and father figure that his ideals were outdated and his mission forever fruitless. Whereas Batman wanted to rid Gotham of crime, Red Hood sought to control its growth by becoming a gang leader and using his influence to keep crime at a managable level. If Bruce Wayne, who Jason saw very little distinction between him and the Batman persona, went into office, then his operations would likely be very strained. It was possible that Jason was working alongside his quarry in an effort to attack him from multiple points.

_No...Jason doesn't think about family business like that, _Bruce reminded himself as he looked out to the podium where he would be soon giving his diatribe as to why he should be mayor over his opponent. _I doubt Jason even knows the reason I'm running for mayor is so I can figure out what my opponent is up to. He sees this as some kind of power play to exert control over Gotham, just like how he thinks I exerted control over him when he was Robin. Whatever he's been doing to me the past two weeks, it's been strictly personal...just like everything is with him. _

"Mr. Wayne?"

Snapping out of his train of thought, Bruce turned back to Gordon who gave him a concerned glance. "...rest assured, Mr. Wayne, we'll do everything in our power to make sure that lunatic doesn't endanger you or the people here to watch you. We've all been very impressed with how you've done away with all of the philandering and party-throwing the past two weeks and focused on this campaign. To be honest, a lot of us at GCPD are starting to think about Harvey when he was running for D.A. before...before-"

"I'd like to think that Harvey is smiling down on me, too, even with his current condition," Bruce interjected to keep Gordon from being reminded of the painful memories that the name carried with it: one that rang true with both of them. "That's another reason I want to become mayor, Commissioner. Harvey Dent was just another victim of the illness that this city carries, deforming his face, his mind, and his soul until it turned him into Two-Face. Maybe if I become mayor, I can pick up where he left off and fulfill his dream of ending organized crime in Gotham City...and maybe then, he can pick up enough of his wits about him to get the help he needs."

"Then don't you think it'd be better for this city if an actual doctor treated its disease?"

Seemingly sneaking up on them undetected, the bespectacled Tammany Crux, already dressed in his powder blue business suit, injected himself into the conversation with the same bright smile he had become associated with. Whatever his ulterior motives were, Crux had already mastered one of the first steps of being a great politician; he was a master at putting on a smile at all times and acting kind and sincere to mask what was in his heart. Putting an arm around Bruce's shoulder, Crux turned to his rival and winked. "Only two weeks into the campaign and you're already stealing my slogans. Isn't there some kind of patent that protects me from that?"

"Save the accusations for the debate, Tammany," Bruce replied with a smile of his own as he pulled away from Crux. "I think you'll find that my reasons for wanting to run for mayor don't need to rip off some else's ideas."

"We'll see, Bruce," Tammany replied before turning to Gordon and Bullock. "So, are you guys going to make sure that no one is going to take shots at me that don't come from the press? I just got this suit dry-cleaned and the last thing I want to happen if for it to be stained in blood. After how much blood I've put my hands in as a doctor, I'd like to think that that getting blood over me during my campaign would be bad for my feng shui."

_As if taking dirty money from Daggett wasn't damaging enough for your feng shui, _Bruce thought bitterly as he reminded himself why he was running against this man. Even if his suspicions about Crux secretly being the criminal mastermind Hush were false, there was an aura of malicious intent that Bruce could sense even with all of the smiles and friendliness Crux exhibited. Having Robin and Azrael spy on him only confirmed the scent of evil Crux had on him: anyone who associated with Daggett in secret couldn't possibly be all that he claimed to be.

Regardless of whether or not he was Hush, a man like Crux should be kept as far away from City Hall as possible.

"...it's also bad for both of our feng shui to meet before the debate," Bruce said with a forced smile as he tried not to think about the veil of deceit that covered Crux's true face from the rest of the world. He wanted so badly to rip Crux's veil off of him, and pull off his false face to confirm that behind the glasses and smile was his former best friend Tommy Elliot, in just another plot to disrupt Bruce's life and act out his vendetta against the Wayne family. He wanted so badly to do away with the lies and face Tommy in honest combat, where it would be a battle of wits and resolve rather than of votes and deals.

He wanted to do that, but he couldn't, so instead he shook the hand he had shaken so many times in the past and sent Crux on his way. "Good luck this evening, Tammany. I look forward to hearing what you have to say."

"...likewise, Bruce," Crux replied as he broke the handshake before giving Bruce a mischievous grin. "Just be sure to stick to your own material, you hear me?"

"...stick a needle in my eye," Bruc e answered with a grin of his own.

The phrase "stick a needle in my eye" was something Bruce and Tommy said to each other as children, and acted as a binding pact that kept the two of them honest with each other. Whenever the two of them made a promise, they would shake hands and say if either of them broke the deal, they would "stick a needle in their eye" as punishment. Fortunately for both of them, there never came a situation where they had to fulfill that punishment, though there were probably many times when Tommy wished he could do just that to his former friend when they clashed as Hush and Batman, respectively.

Once again, Bruce detected the faintest flicker in Crux's eyes as his smile faded and he turned around to go back to his end of the stage behind the curtain that hid them from the gathering crowd outside. It was enough of a reaction to continue giving Bruce reason to suspect Crux's true identity, but it wasn't enough to confirm it. He had clearly underestimated Crux's ability to mask his true feelings, and for a moment, Bruce wondered if maybe he was wrong about Tommy Elliot and Crux was a different man altogether.

"...isn't that what you would say to Master Elliott, sir?"

Bruce turned his head slightly to see Alfred giving him as quizzical look as he stood behind him, but he said nothing back to his butler before turning back around and walking off. Even though he trusted Alfred a great deal, Bruce kept his suspicions hidden even from his faithful butler. The sting from allowing Tommy Elliot to re-enter their lives during Hush's debut still hurt Bruce a great deal, as he had let his life as Bruce Wayne endanger the well-being of his allies that had sworn their allegiance to Batman's cause. In Bruce's eyes, Wayne business and Batman business were two separate things, with two separate sets of allies that acted independent from the other business.

Even though Hush was an enemy of Batman, this Tammany Crux was an opponent of Bruce Wayne and would be treated as such. Therefore, he allowed Alfred to create his own suspicions as he looked in a nearby mirror one last time and prepared to begin his debate.

* * *

Stepping out of the curtain, Bruce Wayne accepted the applause he received from the several thousand people gathered around the park to watch his evening debate that would play a rather large role in whether or not his campaign would yield the results he hoped. Like glitter against the moon that shone above them, the flashes of cameras went off as Bruce approached his podium on the left side of the stage and waited for his opponent. As he did so, he took a moment to look at his surroundings and took note of the many policemen on duty. Just as Gordon and Bullock promised, there were plenty of men and women from the GCPD to look after his well-being.

_If Jason attacks, it sadly won't mean much, _Bruce through grimly as he looked up into the sky to make out whatever he could on the rooftops of nearby buildings. Thanks to the debate taking place in the park, the buildings were a considerable distance away from where Bruce and his opponent would discuss the pressing matters that the city needed to be addressed once one of them stepped into office. This had both an upside and downside. The upside would be that being so far away from buildings would make it difficult for Jason to infiltrate the area undetected like he did during the first press conference at Wayne Enterprises two weeks before.

The downside was that, if Jason really wanted to, he could take out one of the guards stationed on the closest rooftops and then fire a sniper round at whoever he pleased, and it would be quite a while before anyone detected where he fired from. Before the attack on the press conference, Bruce could rest assured that Jason wouldn't resort to that, not having fallen quite that far into his madness. Before the attack, Jason was quite aware about his deteriorating mental health and had temporarily left Gotham to try and piece together his mind by enjoying the company of Donna Troy and Roy Harper, who were two of the very few friends Jason had made during his brief stint with the Teen Titans.

Once again, that was before the attack. The Jason Todd that Bruce knew now was now a shining example of the sickness that Gotham City held within its heart, when even those that would want to be a hero to the city were as cruel and twisted as the villains that sought to destroy it. Even Jean-Paul Valley, who seemed to come back to Gotham to keep the balance between order and chaos that Jason disrupted with his return, was already beginning to lose himself in the madness of violence that now possessed Jason.

_It's not too late, _Bruce told himself as he turned his head to see Tammany Crux step out from the curtain and wave hello to the people watching on the grass. _No matter how violent or unpredictable they've become, they are still part of my family, and I will do everything in my power to make sure that I do not let them down. I'll help Jason in time...but for now, I need to remember that I have a case I need to solve, and an election to win._

Once Crux situated himself onto his podium, Bruce turned to the center podium to see Jack Ryder step onto the stage to a mix of cheers and boos. Ryder was yet another example of how treacherous Gotham City could be to those who overstepped their boundaries, so it was only fitting that he asked the tough questions that would keep the two candidates on their toes. Though Ryder commanded a lot of respect in the press, he still had his fair share of critics who thought that he was too arrogant or too brash. To his critics, Ryder only gave an insincere smirk before beginning the debate.

"I'm glad to see so many of the fine people of Gotham here tonight," Ryder said as he took the microphone off of the podium and held it in his hand while looking out at the crowd. "Usually these mayoral elections get swept under the rug because a certain billionaire is too busy making a scene with another one of his date-of-the-weeks, or there's some rumblings about a city face losing face because he made deals with the wrong people."

_At least he's not singling me out, _Bruce thought with a smirk as he watched Crux's expression sour when Jack's idle ramblings struck a little too close to home.

"This is the first time in a long, long time we've been able to enjoy a political debate with people who actually matter in this city," Jack said with that same arrogant smile that earned him the boos in the first place. "We take a look at people like Sharp, who were swimming in so much corruption and filth that you wondered if maybe his calling in life was a plumber. We take a look at people like Krol, who were so blithering incompetent and overwhelmed that Gotham City might as well have been a whale and they were plankton."

Hearing some cheers pick up as his truth started to get through, Ryder's expression hardened as he pushed forward. "One by one, we've had mayors come and go, each one more inept or more corrupt than the next...which is why I'm proud to say that despite what I thought about these two men before, I can sleep easy at night knowing that in a little over a month, we'll be able to vote for a mayor that won't be a complete and utter unqualified disaster. With one of these two men, we'll be able to have a mayor that can give the fine people at GCPD the teeth they should have had years ago to make this city safe at night!"

The cheers reached fever pitch as Ryder spread out his arms to point to the two men that were on opposite sides of the stage. Only two weeks into the election, and Bruce Wayne's outburst against the Red Hood had made him a hero among the people of Gotham that normally envied Bruce's wealth. By letting the people of Gotham peer into his true self, however slightly, Bruce Wayne had transformed his image from a billionaire playboy to one of the many citizens of Gotham that had something important taken away from them by the rampant crime of the city. It was almost too easy...and watching a smile creep on Crux's face made Bruce wonder if that was the point.

With Ryder stepping onto his center podium and putting the microphone back on the stand, the brash reporter put on his reading glasses and started reading from the sheet of questions he wrote beforehand. "I'm sure the two of you have seen enough of these debates that you know what the rules are. Don't speak unless you're spoken to, and don't interrupt when the other guy is taking. I'm sure the both of you have enough worthwhile things to say, but we don't want this to devolve into an argument...right?"

"...I believe what you mean, Jack, is that you DEFINITELY want this to devolve into an argument," Crux said with a smirk, to the sound of a smattering of laughter. Raising his voice and brightening his smile, Crux motioned to Bruce and exclaimed, "Come on, Jack, let's be real here! There people don't want to see two dudes nodding their heads at each other until it looks like that they'll get the same guy in a different body. They want to see two people get into a heated argument and lose their temper!"

_Same guy in a different body, _Bruce mused as he gave his opponent another curious glance. _I don't suppose that was on purpose that you said that..."Tommy."_

After letting the cheering die down a bit, Ryder read off his first question. "With Crux starting out, why did you decide to throw your hat into the election?"

With all eyes on him, Crux pushed his glasses deeper into his face with his expression becoming more serious. "As a doctor, I have seen many terrible things in this city," Crux began as Bruce monitored him carefully. "I've seen women brought in because they mutilated themselves trying to get rid of a baby that they didn't want to give birth to. I've seen children brought in so drugged up that they can't even tell fantasy from reality. I've seen men brought in so destroyed that I've had to do surgery on their heads just to clear out the pieces of their skull."

_Another similarity to Tommy, _Bruce noted silently. _Tommy first came back into my life when I had him perform surgery on me when I took that fall near Crime Alley...and then he took the first of many steps to ruin my life. That's the second obvious hint he's dropped to let me know who he really is...but Tommy is too smart to be caught doing slip-ups like that. What is he really planning?_

"After the umpteenth surgery, I told myself that I wasn't going to do any more good just picking up the pieces and sewing them back together," Crux continued before pointing to the banner on his podium which carried his logo. "If I wanted to have a successful operation, then my scalpel would have to go to the root of the tumor, all the way in City Hall. Like you said, Ryder, there have been a lot of really unsavory individuals that have called themselves mayor. I'd like to think that if I get in, I can used my expertise as a doctor to do some real good for this city."

"I think you'll find Gotham City as a whole a little bit different from what you're used to working with, Dr. Crux," Ryder added. "What do you plan to do once you get into office?"

"I'm going to focus on improving the living conditions of the city as a whole. I find that a lot of the problems in this city are linked to poverty," Crux replied before turning to the curtain. "Ladies and gentlemen, I'd like to bring out someone who has volunteered to help me root out the infection that Gotham City has been diagnosed with since its inception...please welcome Mr. Roland Daggett!"

With the redheaded businessmen stepping through the curtain with nary a hair out of place, there was a confused murmuring in the crowd while Bruce felt his familiar Batman-related urge to reach out and attack the man that had been a thorn in his side for so many years. Even though he had been aware of Daggett's involvement with Crux, it didn't make it any easier to swallow that his opponents for mayor were two of his greatest foes as Batman. Crux wasn't the first mayor Daggett tempted with his money or intimidated with his threats, but the fact that Daggett had the nerve to make an appearance like this even with all of the dirt Batman compiled on him made Bruce want to gag.

"When Daggett heard about my plans to heal Gotham City, he was skeptical at first," Crux said as he watched Daggett sit down in a chair behind him, his toothpick dancing around in his mouth. "After all, every mayor of this city has used pretty words like that to get into office, and then once they're in there, they neglect their duties because they're afraid to leave their comfort zone...but Daggett is a man who wants to redeem himself. He rebuilt his empire after it collapsed amid rumors of foul play, and now he is offering his help to rebuild this city, under my careful watch. With his help, I'll focus my efforts on affordable housing in the slums and clean out the bowels of the city..."

Every word made Bruce want to gag a little bit more, and it was getting to the point where Bruce was having much difficulty holding in his bile. If Crux was Tommy, he was definitely using the vital intel he had on Bruce's secret life to his advantage. Roland Daggett was an enemy of both Bruce Wayne and Batman, and openly flaunting his relationship to the crime boss and entrepreneur Daggett was something that Wayne didn't expect nor wish to happen. Azrael, Robin, and even the Riddler hoped that knowledge would be their ace in the hole for Bruce, but now Crux was throwing it out the window.

_Letting your opponent think they have what they want, only to strike them where it hurts, _Bruce thought with a grim smile as he used all of his effort to hold in the urge to vomit from Crux's advances. _Clever, Tommy...very clever._

"...and now it's your turn, Wayne," Ryder said after what seemed like an eternity of Crux-fried garbage spewing from the doctor's mouth, allowing Bruce a brief reprieve and think about his counterattack that didn't involve tackling his opponent to the ground for plotting the horrible things that he now doubt had planned with Daggett at his side. "Why did you decide to accept candidacy?"

"...I touched upon this briefly at the press conference, before I was interrupted by the Red Hood," Bruce began as he let his true personality out to play, albeit on a very tight leash. "I was ten years old when I lost my parents to the very same disease that Dr. Crux mentioned, and that moment has stuck with me for a very long time. We were coming home from the movies...and my father wanted to take a shortcut through an alleyway to get to where Alfred was waiting. In the darkness, a man emerged with a gun, demanding that my mother hand over her pearls. My father resisted...and he paid for it with his life."

Clenching his fist as his expression hardened, Bruce continued going down memory lane and sharing it with the people of Gotham. "I idolized my father, so you can only imagine how I must have felt when I watched him fall to the ground. No sooner had I put my hand on him, another shot was heard...and my mother fell down next to him. The criminal ran off, and as I put my hand in my parent's blood, the harsh reality of the situation set in. My parents were alive five minutes ago, and now they were dead. In an instant, I went from enjoying the company of my parents to being an orphan."

"So you want to make it so that others don't have to experience the same thing you did," Ryder, seemingly unfazed, pressed onward as Bruce regained his composure and took a deep breath. "You said last time that the reason you didn't declare for mayor before was because you were too busy building up Wayne Enterprises. That's a multi-billion dollar company, Wayne...why in the world would you want to step down from that to announce your bid for a position that, quite frankly, no one would want after looking at the past people who had it?"

_"Because I'm Batman, and becoming mayor is the best way to make sure that my current case is solved," _Bruce stopped himself from saying.

"...because as I've grown older, I've tried to bury what happened with frivolous things like parties and women, and tell myself that the Wayne Foundation would be enough," Bruce lied convincingly enough that Ryder was satisfied with his answer. "...but after spending an evening thinking about it, I realize that if I want to avenge my parent's murder, I need to take a more direct approach. My father, like Dr. Crux, was a doctor who treated all sorts of patients, so I will follow in his footsteps and heal the city that he loved so much...and ultimately killed him."

Turning his head to the curtain, Bruce nodded his head to Alfred, who nodded back to him and opened the curtain to reveal a young redheaded woman in a wheelchair, rolling over next to Bruce's podium and looking out into the crowd as Bruce continued speaking. "I'm sure most of you know Barbara Gordon, the police commissioner's daughter," Bruce began as his longtime ally as Batman turned to him and gave him a faint smile: one that had stolen many hearts before her injury forever took away the incredible joy she felt secretly patrolling the streets as Batgirl. "I've kept this quiet, but Barbara and I have become very close over the years, because we have something in common."

"And what might that be, Mr. Wayne?" Jack asked as Bruce unhooked his microphone and handed it to Barbara.

"We both know what it's like to lose something important because the streets of Gotham aren't safe at night," Barbara answered for her longtime mentor as she looked out into the crowd with her wire-rimmed glasses shining in the bright lights. "As the police commissioner's daughter, I've had to live every day of my life wondering if my father is going to come home safely, because that's just what a cop's family has to do. But one thing that I never saw coming was that one of his enemies would come to my house and cripple me just to send a message. I'm lucky to still be alive, but there isn't a day that goes by when I don't wonder what my life would be like if I still had the use to my legs...just like there isn't a day that goes by when Bruce doesn't wonder what his parents would think of him if they were still alive."

Handing the microphone back to Bruce, Barbara gave him a slight nod before watching him continue. "Barbara is one of the bravest, most intelligent people I know, and knowing the pain of loss has forged a friendship between us that won't soon go away," Bruce's eyes narrowed as he turned to Crux and glared at him, feeling his anger boil as Crux only grinned back at him. "Dr. Crux is no doubt a brilliant doctor, but he has only seen Gotham as just that: a doctor stitching the wounds together. Barbara and I have experienced this 'disease' as victims, and I made a vow to her that, if I am mayor, I will give her father the means to come home to her without having to worry about an attempt on either of their lives."

"...so I guess you don't think the Batman and his comrades are enough backup?" Ryder asked with a raised eyebrow.

"What I want, Mr. Ryder, is a Gotham City where Batman would not have to be an absolute necessity," Bruce retorted before turning to Daggett. "With all due respect to Dr. Crux, Daggett has all sorts of accusations floating around him that would make the old Falcone crime family look like the Osmond family in comparison. I won't accuse Dr. Crux of any foul play, but I would hope he reconsiders allying himself with him if he wants to really help this city."

"...and if you get into office, what makes you so sure that you won't fall into the same traps that those before you did?"

"What have I got to lose, Ryder," Bruce said with a grin before taking his microphone and stepping off of the podium. "You asked me why I would step away from Wayne Enterprises? My answer is that I've been wealthy all of my life, and quite frankly, I've grown bored with that kind of life. Any kind of bribes would fall on my deaf ears because money doesn't impress me. You talked about how previous mayors were intimidated by threats? I've already lost my parents, and I've just bared my soul to you: what could they possibly take away from me that they haven't already taken?"

Turning his head to see Daggett sneering at him, Bruce looked to Crux and saw that his kind facade was gone, replaced with a slightly frustrated expression that gave Bruce a small feeling of victory. Even though there was still much of the debate left that evening, he had delivered a decisive first strike to his rival. With the crowd now applauding for him, Bruce turned back to them and concluded his speech. "When I put my hand in a pool of my parents' blood as they mixed on the ground, I took a vow that I would not allow what happened to me happen to another child. The time has come for Bruce Wayne to fulfill his vow and apply it to all of Gotham City. If you put your trust in me, I will promise you that I will serve my campaign slogan: 'NEVER AGAIN!'"


	6. Chapter 6

As the clock struck 10 o'clock, Bruce continued to study the evidence.

Under normal circumstances, he would be doing so in his fabled Batcave, where he would be in full battle regalia and collaborating with his allies that had helped in. Even though Batman wasn't afraid to get physical with his enemies, the Dark Knight's forte lay in forensics. His sharp mind had allowed him to overcome enemies where even his vaunted martial arts abilities and technology would fail, and it was his sharp mind that made him such a valuable commodity to Gotham City Police Department. If it were just his fists that drove his campaign against crime, Commissioner Gordon probably wouldn't have allowed him to work for so long.

On this evening, however, just like every other evening since he announced his campaign for mayor two weeks before, he was instead studying the evidence in his study lounge at Wayne Manor. The campaign had taken up far more of his time than he originally anticipated, to a point where the time he got home, it left very little time for his patrols as Batman. Every time he attempted to put on the cape and cowl, he would receive a call from one of his managers about arranging a visit to a hospital or a school, reminding Bruce that Tammany Crux was already making such plans and had a head start on him.

Whatever free time Bruce had was being used to study the evidence he and his allies had accumulated on the "killer surgeon" that was mutilating the people of Gotham seemingly at random, taking their organs and their face before dumping the body in unrelated points throughout the city. All of Bruce's instincts were telling him that Hush had returned and he was the culprit, but it was unlike his former friend to conduct acts of murder and do so in a way where Batman wouldn't know for sure it was him. Hush's descent into crime was driven largely by his vendetta against Bruce, and his more recent acts of crime were constructed so that it would strike directly at the man that at one point was his closest childhood friend.

Finally, Bruce had enough.

Gathering the papers and folders on his desk, Bruce took a sharp breath and turned to his grandfather clock. As he spun the hands around until they reached the proper time, Bruce took a step back and inhaled the damp air that rushed out as the clock moved to the side to reveal the entrance of the Batcave. The descent into the darkness as he walked down the stairs was like a baptism to Bruce, having been separated from the darkness for so long. He never imagined how time-consuming and all-encompassing his campaign would be: otherwise he would have considered other methods. By descending into the Batcave and watching the lights and monitors activate, Bruce reminded himself once more who he really was.

Bruce Wayne the billionaire was only a facade he put on during the day. His true identity was the Batman who defended Gotham City from threats both within and without. For whatever reason, Bruce had forgotten that in all of the insanity that came with funding a successful bid for mayor and making all of the trips across the city necessary to build a good reputation. Being a billionaire, after all, would only take him so far in the public eye.

With his files in hand, Bruce approached the massive multi-screen computer that had helped him solve so many cases in the past and placed the files onto the large desk. "Password: Kyle," Bruce said aloud as the massive servers that housed the computer's database hummed to life. Opening the folder on his desk and picking up where he left off in the study. Since his campaign began, three more murders with the same motif as the previous murders had been reported, meaning the killer was stepping up his attacks.

That in itself led reason to doubt that Hush was the real killer. If Bruce Wayne was so exhausted in his campaign that he didn't have the energy left for a successful patrol as Batman, then certainly Hush would be having similar problems carrying out his murder spree. Hush was a villain who put his civilian life first and his masked life second: apart from his vendetta against the Wayne family, he was very concerned with his legitimate business was conducted, having inherited the Elliot fortune as well as being a very successful surgeon. If he was Tammany Crux in disguise, he probably would have thought the murders too much of a bother when the bigger prize of being Gotham's mayor was at stake.

"...VOICE PATTERN RECOGNIZED. PASSWORD ACCEPTED," the computer speakers buzzed as the monitors revealed the fabled Batman insignia. "AWAITING INSTRUCTIONS."

"Profile search: Crux, Tammany," Bruce ordered as he continued thumbing through the files. One of the traits that made Hush so difficult an opponent, apart from his personal history with Bruce and knowledge of his secret life, was that he was a master of disguise. During his first campaign, he and the Riddler orchestrated a gauntlet of Batman's greatest foes to rally against him with each enemy conducting his own specialty. The gauntlet was not meant so much as to wear Batman down as much as it was to keep him guessing as to who the masterminds behind the plot were: Tommy even went so far as to fake his own death so that he could embrace his newly-created Hush identity in earnest and be Batman's final opponent. It wasn't until he learned from Riddler, who played his role so well that Batman didn't decide the importance of his role until after Hush had been defeated, that Hush and Tommy Elliot were the same man.

If he was able to announce his candidacy for mayor as Tammany Crux, Hush didn't just create the identity to serve his purposes. He would have needed an alibi.

"PROFILE FOUND: CRUX, TAMMANY. HEIGHT: 6'3". WEIGHT: 220 lbs. AGE: 36. GRADUATED FROM GOTHAM MEDICAL ACADEMY. OCCUPATION: DOCTOR AT GOTHAM GENERAL HOSPITAL. MARITAL STATUS: SINGLE."

_The exact same height and weight as Tommy, _Bruce mused before putting his files down and focusing all of his attention to the computer. With his fingers rapidly dancing around the keyboard, Bruce dug deeper into the profile his computer found on him. _Arrested two years ago for illegally prescribing painkillers, but never convicted. He's worked at Gotham General Hospital for the past eight years, but he started his career in Philadelphia...just like Tommy before he returned to my life as Hush. Even if Crux and Tommy are two different people, it's entirely possible that they know one another. Maybe Crux is an accomplice?_

"Cross-reference to name: Elliot, Tommy," Bruce stated. An instant later, the computer returned with the words "NO DATA FOUND" spread across the screen, with the computer's voice echoing the sentiment a moment after. "No recorded connections...but that doesn't mean there aren't any at all," Bruce said out loud as he looked at the picture of Tammany Crux once again. When he first met Crux, he noticed a ring of scars around his neck. When asked about them, Crux replied that he was in an accident that claimed the life of his father, but Dr. Thomas Wayne was able to save both him and his mother. Apart from the inclusion of himself in the accident, Crux's story was practically identical to Tommy's story as to why he became a surgeon.

"Cross-reference to name: Wayne, Thomas," Bruce said solemnly. A few seconds passed as the computer dug deep into its database to find the connection between Bruce's opponent in the election and his deceased father. He took that brief moment to remember the kind of man his father was before the gun took away his life in Crime Alley. Thomas wasn't like Bruce, who put on a facade every time he put himself in the public eye. Thomas wore his heart on his sleeve and was the same person in public that he was at home: a kind and generous man with a sense of humor. He had healed so many people in the years that it was possible that Crux's story was true and the resemblance to Tommy's was just that: a resemblance and nothing more.

"...NO DATA FOUND."

"So his alibi is the same as Tommy's, but he has no connections to him," Bruce said quietly before turning back to the files on his desk. "You really want to make me second-guess myself on this one, don't you, Tommy? You've dropped subtle hints that you're up to something in a way that only I would know, but you've covered your tracks so well that I have no way of proving that you and Crux are one and the same. Very clever..."

"Tommy always was the sharp one, sir."

Swiveling his chair around to see Alfred descending down the stairs with a metal tray in his hand, Bruce smiled as he stood up to greet his butler. "Come to see how I'm doing, Alfred?" Bruce asked as he met Alfred at the staircase and looked at the kettle of tea on the tray. "You've come down here just in time. I was about to go back upstairs to make some tea myself."

"I find that a spot of tea has always been the grease that gets the gears in your head functioning properly, sir," the thin gentleman replied as he placed the tray down next to the files on Bruce's desk and looked up to the computer. "I trust that you are still harboring the suspicions that Master Elliot is none other than your bright and cheery opponent in the race, sir?"

Bruce raised an eyebrow at Alfred's seemingly idle statement. "...I didn't tell anyone about that. How did-"

"Whenever your old friend Tommy is involved, sir, there's always a distinctive look of discomfort," Alfred interrupted as he took one of the teacups on the tray and used the kettle to gently fill it with tea. "Even though you keep matters involving him to yourself, I've known you long enough to see when something that personal is bothering you. When you were speaking to him yesterday, you used that language that you only used on Tommy when the two of you were young boys."

"...don't tell the others," Bruce's expression hardened as he sat down and resumed working at the computer. "Tommy business is strictly something that involves Bruce Wayne. I don't want Tim and Jean-Paul to get involved if a definite correlation is discovered."

"Might as I why, sir?"

"...because that's the way the both of us want it," Bruce answered solemnly as he continued looking through the file of Tammany Crux. "The last time Hush struck, he targeted Catwoman as a means to draw me out for a confrontation. I care too much for both Tim and Jean-Paul for them to be dragged down in Hush's machinations. The only way Hush and Batman are going to settle their score is if they do so with the playing fields even...as Tommy Elliott, and as Bruce Wayne."

"...pardon me for saying so, sir, but watching you yesterday have that debate with Tommy-"

"-Tammany, Alfred," Bruce interjected before reaching over for the tea his butler poured for him. "Until I have definite proof that he's Tommy in another disguise, we call him 'Tammany Crux.'"

"...of course, sir. Watching you have that debate with Mr. Crux yesterday reminded me of the conversations you would have with Tommy," Alfred corrected himself as he watched Bruce sip his tea while using his free hand to rattle across the keyboard. "When your parents would still alive, they would always marvel at how well you resonated with him. They were certain that together, the two of you would rise to the very top of Gotham City's echelon and usher in a new era of prosperity for the city."

"Things changed," Bruce replied dryly.

"Obviously, sir, but I think the case might be a blessing in disguise...something that will fulfill that prediction your parents made about you," Alfred continued. "For many years now, you've kept your true feelings hidden from the rest of the world, unleashing them only when you put on the cape and cowl...but watching you the past two weeks, talk about the pain of loss you feel every day, and mentioning the contributions you make to the orphans of the city, I feel that Bruce Wayne has finally emerged your one true personality."

"...that's nonsense, Alfred," Bruce growled. "I am the Batman: that's who I really am, and that's who I shall always be."

At least, that's what Bruce kept telling himself. His current presence in the Batcave was his first since he first took up the case of the killer surgeon, and it had been two weeks since Bruce put on the cape and cowl and patrolled the streets. In the past, he would have conducted his investigation as Batman regardless of how tired he was from his day work, but now Bruce had so many allies that he had trained personally to carry out his investigations alongside him. Furthermore, he now had the formidable mind of the Riddler at his disposal, assisting in his investigation of Crux while Azrael and Robin looked more into the murders.

As much as Bruce Wayne didn't want to admit it, he had backed himself into a situation where Batman was not required, as his protégés were doing a fine job on their own so far of conducting the investigation. As much as he didn't trust Riddler, Bruce had to admit that his unique intel from his time as a master criminal had proven very helpful in uncovering Crux's connections with Daggett. Even though he had not put on the cape and cowl in what seemed like forever, in a scant two weeks his investigation was as far along as it would have been had he taken to the streets.

Perhaps sensing Bruce's denial, Alfred put a hand on Bruce's shoulder. "Gotham City has had its trust betrayed many times by those who are supposed to be leading them. By letting your true feelings show through, you've shown the people of Gotham that there are those among the privileged that can empathize with them. You've spent so many years acting the fool, pretending to be a 'billionaire playboy,' that you don't realize how much good you can do as Bruce Wayne."

"...what are you saying, Alfred?"

Alfred took a deep breath before getting to the point. "Master Tim has become a fine detective under your tutelage, and Master Jean-Paul has done a splendid job regaining your trust. When Madam Cassandra and Madam Stephanie return, they will no doubt be stronger than ever before. Perhaps...perhaps it is time for the Batman to take a more limited role in protecting Gotham and allow the next generation to prove themselves, and for Bruce Wayne to become the leader that Gotham City so sorely wants him to be."

"..."

Without saying a word, Bruce turned to look at the campaign pin that was still attached to his shirt from the events of the day, where he visited the people of Crime Alley and delivered one of many, many speeches he would be delivering to the people about how he would help Gotham City finally address the problems that had plagued it for so many years. When he first conducted his training that would later translate to him becoming Batman, he took a vow that he would never again let criminals do as they pleased, and never again stand idly by to watch them take away from someone else what they took away from him. It was a vow that he had kept largely to himself...until yesterday.

Now the phrase "never again" was the campaign slogan that was propelling him to the top of the polls, and what was supposed to be a ruse to allow Batman to uncover Hush's plot was quickly becoming the truth. If Bruce Wayne was going to become mayor...what need would there be for Batman when all of his ideals and missions could be carried out from City Hall?

"...I'm going to train," Bruce said curtly as he stood up and walked further into the Batcave. "Thank you for talking to me, Alfred, and please tell Oracle to dig up what she can on Tammany Crux."

"...of course, sir," Alfred replied as he watched his long-time employer and surrogate son disappear into the darkness.

* * *

This was a bad idea.

As much as Riddler liked to tell himself that every idea that came to him was a good one, every so often reality would kick him in the face and tell him otherwise. When he came to this apartment, he did so knowing that the inhabitant would welcome him as a former partner-in-crime. After all, they had collaborated so often when they were both on the wrong side on the law, and developed what Riddler believed to be a mutual respect for each other's talents. He was even willing to look past how she had once took over his own house when Poison Ivy invited her inside after the plant-based femme fatale seduced and brainwashed Riddler.

Sadly for Riddler, he was wrong.

"Riddle me this, Selina...WHAT'S THE SAFETY WORD!?"

"There is none, you doofus," the leather-clad, raven-haired woman exclaimed as her whip came down hard on Riddler's back once more, tearing through the pinstriped shirt he was wearing and eliciting another cry of pain. "You have the nerve to come into my home after all of the scummy things you've done!? You're lucky I'm just going to leave you with lash marks instead of clawing your eyes out like I did the last guy who thought they could sneak up on me when I wasn't home!"

"C-come on, Selina," Riddler sputtered out as he ignored the horrible stinging on his back and turned to face the world-renowned high-stakes thief known as Catwoman. "You know I wouldn't do anything to harm you: we've known each other for so many years that-AGH!"

With her devastating bullwhip just barely missing Riddler's shoes, Selina let the snarl on her beautiful face contort further as Riddler jumped back in fear. "That's EXACTLY why I know you'll do something to harm me, Eddie," Selina spat back as she watched Riddler pick up his cane and grip onto it tightly. "You've made a living off of playing with people's heads for your own amusement. I'm not going to let you use your stupid mind tricks of me!"

With the whip's lashing coming closer to him, the Riddler quickly racked his brain to figure out how he was going to get out of the rather precarious situation. Perhaps no one in Gotham City represented the wrath of a woman's scorn quite like Selina Kyle, whose life was ripe with deceit and betrayal to a point where it dictated how she lived her life. One minute she could be a charming jewel thief with a seductive purr and a conscience that allowed her to protect innocent lives, and the next minute she could morph into a bloodthirsty witch that clawed men's eyes out and left them so horribly scarred that they wouldn't be able to afford the surgery necessary to put their pieces back together.

Riddler came to her apartment hoping to meet the former, but instead he found the latter.

"I...I just came here because I need your help with something," Riddler managed to say just as Selina was about to deliver another lash, one that probably wouldn't have missed. "I've been following a case about that Tammany Crux fellow, and I found out that he's been working alongside Daggett. My contacts told me that you and Daggett have been butting heads the past few we-AH!"

Riddler's eyes widened in shock as he moved his head just in time to avoid Selina's whip as he crashed against the wall. Taking note of the gash it left in the plaster, Riddler gulped as he wondered what that strike would have done if it had hit his face. It's not like Riddler was completely helpless when it came to physical fights, but Catwoman was in a class all her own when it came to fighting, to a point where even Batman considered her abilities in the same class as him. Riddler was very much a mouse in Catwoman's den, and Selina was going to pick him apart if he didn't think of something soon.

"Who are you working for, Eddie?" Selina interrogated Riddler in a stark reversal of roles, when Riddler hoped to interrogate Selina. Rearing back her whip for a devastating strike, Selina's green eyes narrowed as Riddler's own eyes trembled. "Tell me now, or I give you a lash right on your nose!"

"B-Bruce Wayne," Riddler stammered as Selina walked closer to him. "I'm working for Bruce Wayne!"

"...you're lying to me," Selina hissed, grabbing Riddler by the collar and throwing down her whip to bare her claws at him. "Do you know what I do to men who lie to me, Eddie? I make sure that they never lie to me again...by ripping out their tongue and feeding it to stray cats."

"I-I-I believe you, Selina," Riddler broke out into a cold sweat as the eyes of the woman that had silenced countless thugs looked to make him her next victim. "Bruce Wayne hired me to dig up dirt on Tammany Crux because he thinks he might be Hush. I figured I'd come to you for help since I know you and Hush have history with each other." With a nervous grin forming on his face, Riddler held up his hands and tried his hardest to be cool in the face of fear. "Come on, Selina...that bandaged lunatic played us both for fools. How about we stick it to him...together?"

"...you know?" Selina whispered incredulously.

"About Bruce's evening pastimes where he's been a thorn in our less-than-legal exploits since we first started playing dress-up? Yes, I do," Riddler replied while Selina loosened her grip. Breathing a sigh of relief, Riddler walked over to Selina's couch and sat down with his arms spread around the spine. "Selina, I understand perfectly why you wouldn't trust me. I'll be the first to admit that I've done a lot of things that others would call villainous. But let me remind you that I've put that life behind-"

"Get off my couch or it's another 50 lashes," Selina growled, prompting Riddler to quickly get away from her furniture and instead lean on his cane.

"...as I was saying," Riddler grumbled before straightening his bowler hat. "I've put the life of crime behind me: lately I've been finding it much more challenging and enjoyable to pit my wits against the criminal element of this city. I've had some very important clients come to my office asking for my unique insight, and because of that I've found some peace and harmony...so you can imagine how elated I was when Bruce Wayne, my longtime nemesis and rival, gave me a call asking for my help in solving the case of Tammany Crux's big secret."

"...why would you be willing to help him?" Selina asked as finally loosened up and let the less violent side of her personality shine through. Doing so allowed Riddler to feel much more at ease, knowing that he was now talking to the Catwoman that he was hoping to talk to, rather than the ferocious femme fatale that he wound up getting. "You've always had it in for him, either as Bruce Wayne or as Batman. I figure you would have sold his secret to the highest bidder and watch him squirm as every scumbag in Gotham City went to burn down his house."

"...believe me, the thought crossed my mind," Riddler sneered, "but a riddle that everyone knows is a useless riddle. I spent many years trying to learn the answer to who was Batman when the mask was off...and now that I have it, I can step back and appreciate all of the good times he's given me. Apart from the stints in Arkham, I have to admit that it was fun, if frustrating, how many times Batman foiled my plans by pitting his mind against my own. Now that I'm on the honest side of the law, maybe I can find out how-"

"That doesn't answer my question," Selina interrupted. "Why are you helping him?"

Placing both his hands on the question mark tip of his cane, Riddler's expression turned into a grim smile. "Because, my dear, I have to admit you're very curious to the answer of the riddle that our mutual friend has presented us the past two weeks..."

"...'What kind of city will Gotham be like if Batman is the mayor,'" Selina replied lowly.

Seeing that he had piqued Selina's interest, Riddler pressed forward with his smile widening. "We're not like the others, Selina. We might steal and cheat, but killing is something that we prefer keeping to a minimum because stuff like that makes us no better than people like the Joker, or Black Mask, or Two-Face. No, the two of us are veterans from a simple time when it was just a matter of we ran and he chased...but Gotham City has changed since then, hasn't it, Selina?"

The truth of Riddler's words struck more visibly than any of her lashes would, as Selina's expression became distant. As much as she detested Riddler's arrogance, what he was saying made perfect sense to her. Early in their costumed careers, Batman's fights with Catwoman and Riddler were less of a straight-up physical confrontation and more along the lines of battles of wits. Though every now and again there was a life or two at stake, the two so-called "supervillains" kept their capers strictly about money. If they wanted to become killers, they wouldn't have wasted time with hostages.

But as Batman's reputation grew, so did the ruthlessness of his rogue's gallery. Joker's crimes went from homicides to attempted genocide, Poison Ivy went from robbing banks to planning to eradicate Gotham City's human population, Two-Face's mind spiraled down further and further until he became as brutal and bloodthirsty as the gangsters he once waged war on. Whereas Batman once took great care in avoiding crippling his opponents, Selina had seen a fatal glint in his eyes several times where he was using all of his willpower not to outright kill his enemy, where before it seemed so easy.

"It's changed...and I don't think for the better," Selina said after what seemed like a long silence. Picking up her bullwhip from the floor, Selina looked at it longingly before continuing. "Every time he tried to do some good, this city would spew out some new garbage, most of it coming right from City Hall. Everywhere I turn, I see this city deteriorate right back to its old problems even when steps are taken to fix them. I have to admit, I miss being able to pull a heist and the most I had to worry about was Batman waving his finger at me, instead of Black Mask's or Red Hood's or Daggett's goons wanting to tear my guts out."

"Then let's help Batman clear his belfry and pave his way to City Hall," Riddler replied with a friendly smile, outstretching his hand for Selina. "I might not think very highly of Bruce Wayne the billionaire playboy...but Bruce Wayne the Batman is someone that both of us can get behind for mayor. Maybe then, we won't have to kill someone to get appreciated in this town."

There was a tense moment between the two former career criminals that had known each other for so many years. Whereas Riddler saw Batman as a formidable opponent and rival, Catwoman saw Batman as something much, much greater. The attraction between Catwoman and Batman was well-known to the costumed element of Gotham City, but it wasn't until recently that Selina and Bruce started sharing the attraction. In a strange way, it was Riddler's role in Hush's debut that allowed the two of them share both sides of their life with each other. Though the two of them had grown distant in recent months in the wake of Hush's more recent attacks on their relationship, Selina did hope that Batman could find the peace that had been denied of him for so many years.

Perhaps becoming the mayor would allow him the chance to find it.

Taking an apple from the fruit bowl on the coffee table, Selina put the apple in Riddler's hand before pulling down the cat-styled hood of her Catwoman uniform and letting her long black hair fall down. "You're right about what you said earlier: I've definitely been keeping tabs on Daggett," she stated as Riddler looked at the apple quizzically before taking a bite. "Daggett's drug ring has been focused mostly on the West End, but lately he's been worming his way in the East End, too. Naturally, I've been putting a damper on those plans."

"Interesting...find anything out about the murders?" Riddler asked with his mouth full of apple bits.

"Just a bunch of 'mysterious injuries' happening at Daggett's manufacturing plants," Selina replied before taking an apple of her own. "I learned from one of my contacts that Daggett has been recommended his employees that get injured on the job to a certain doctor. And guess what? None of those injured employees have showed up to work since...instead they wind up on the street with their bits and pieces taken out of them and left for dead."

"Interesting," Riddler said with a satisfied grin as he reached into his pocket to pull out a pen and pad of paper. Scribbling down Selina's unique intel, the wheels in Riddler's head started to spin rapidly as his mind began to piece together the connections needed to solve the case. "That's very interesting, Selina...please, tell me more..."


	7. Chapter 7

"Right...I think I have enough for today. Thanks for letting me tail you for the afternoon, Bruce."

"It is a pleasure as always, Vicki," Bruce said with a smile before shaking his ex-girlfriend's hand. Turning to face the cameraman hovering behind them, the billionaire candidate kept his grip on Vicki's hand as he continued speaking. "Would you like a handshake or no for the last bit of the evening news?"

"...no handshake, Bruce," Vicki replied with a grin before wriggling her hand free and stepping aside. "Just try not to look too smiley: this 'Never Again' slogan you're running with is a gold mine. Until you came along, the last few mayoral elections have tried to run the anti-crime campaign with false promises and fake smiles. At least with you, people know that what they're getting is hard reality and promises that could actually be fulfilled."

_Maybe, _Bruce thought as his diminished his smile before turning to look at the handful of patients and children that went out to join him in the photo, _but sometimes reality can kill. There are people in Gotham City that live with the reality that their next day could be their last through no fault of their own, other than living in the city. I need to be careful how much of my reality I reveal to the people for Gotham, or the reality of my 'secret life' gets out into the open._

At Alfred and Barbara's behest, Bruce Wayne's previous two weeks of campaigning had been focused less on how he was going to root out the "disease of Gotham" and more on how he was going heal those that were infected by it. Bruce already had his Wayne Foundation that provided services to those who had lost something important to them from the criminal element, and being an orphan of the city lent him the support of the people who saw him not as the billionaire playboy, but as a champion of the people that didn't have the luxury of living in the upper echelon of Gotham City. Just as Vicki Vale told him: so many mayors had used the anti-criminal campaign, but few did so from personal experience.

Not only that, but Bruce also had the votes of the people thanks to how he, over the years, had taken in boys of the street that had experienced similar tragedies that he experienced when he was their young age. When he first adopted Dick after his mother and father, the Flying Graysons, were killed via sabotage from a local protection racket, Bruce kept his adoption of the boy that would later become the first Robin a guarded secret. But with his adoption of Jason Todd and Tim Drake becoming more public knowledge with his campaign, Bruce's "billionaire playboy" persona was rapidly fading in the public eye and turning him into a "billionaire philanthropist" whose heart was as big as his family fortune that he inherited too soon for his tastes

There was a very real possibility emerging, stemming from Bruce's televised debate, that he would become the next mayor.

"It bothers you, doesn't it?"

Turning around to see Barbara pulling up next to him in her wheelchair, Bruce's expression hardened as the camera turned away from him and followed Vicki Vale into their news van. "I didn't think it would get this far," Bruce said quietly as the other patients of the clinic went back inside, with Bruce and Barbara following them. "When I started this campaign, it was only so that I could find out the conspiracy that lay hidden behind this election. It...it appears that I might have acted too rashly in deterring my foe."

"You're giving the city hope, Bruce...on both ends of your life," Barbara replied with a thin smile on her face that had once stolen the hearts of so many men, before the loss of her legs dampened her once-infectious joyful behavior. "To be honest, it always annoyed me that you had so many critics talking trash about you, without the slightest inkling of what you sacrifice for the city. It seems that now, people are recognizing who you really are."

"...do you think I have a chance, Barbara?"

Bruce turned away from Barbara and looked at the room they had just entered. Throughout the day, Bruce had been making visits to the many small clinics and doctor's offices that were peppered across the city, most of them being known only to those who asked about them. It was customary for a mayoral candidate to give lectures and shake hands with those who were sick or disadvantaged, but unlike most other candidates who would visit the clinics and then promptly forget about them the next day, Bruce could explicitly remember where each clinic was located, having visited each one at some point in his career as Batman.

The clinic they were currently visiting, the final visit on Bruce's trip throughout the city, was very plain to those who were not familiar with it. The walls were a pale shade on brown, with the wallpaper peeling slightly to reveal the plaster beneath it. There were less than ten chairs set up in the waiting room, all of them occupied with men and women, with one of them holding a crying baby in her lap. Apart from the assorted magazines sitting on the end tables separating the chairs, the only other way to pass the time before the appointment was an analog television hanging from the ceiling, which had a color distortion the caused the picture to look tainted like an oil spill of colors.

A lower-class clinic, to be sure, but Bruce's history with it made it as luxurious as the finest hospital in the world. This was the clinic of the woman that offered him the parental comfort that was robbed from him on that night of gunfire and death. If not for the head doctor of this clinic, Bruce would have been completely consumed in his hate and sorrow and become just one of the many deviants that poisoned the good people of Gotham City.

"...listening, Bruce?"

"Hm?" Bruce turned back to Barbara and realized that he was getting lost in his thoughts again. "Sorry, Barbara...I was reminiscing about my history with this place."

"...to answer your question, Bruce...yes, I do think you can win," Barbara said as she followed Bruce through the waiting room and moved past him when he opened the door for her to go into the treatment corridors. "To be honest, I'll be surprised if you don't. Even looking past all of the suspicions you have with Crux, his campaign doesn't have the same appeal that yours does. He might want to heal this city, but you're someone who lost something to it. I don't think Crux has experienced any kind of loss like you did."

"...maybe not one he didn't instigate himself..."

"Pardon?"

"...nothing," Bruce grumbled before opening the door that he had opened many times in the past, both as Bruce Wayne and as Batman. "Just muttering, Barbara."

As he opened the door, Bruce spotted the elderly woman that cared for him in his younger years alongside Alfred, becoming the mother figure that was stolen from him by the gunfire. Her dark hair had turned gray over the years, no doubt exacerbated by the rigors of working a clinic in this particularly nasty part of Gotham City. Bruce could understand, being that they were in the exact same part of the city where his parents were gunned down: the so-called "Crime Alley" where fear and murder reigned and a vow was made that would forever change the complexion of the city.

But throughout all of that, Dr. Thompkins turned around and still managed to give Bruce a smile. Like Alfred, Dr. Thompkins was present when Bruce Wayne first took up crimefighting and later witnessed his evolution into Batman. Though she had tried to dissuade his mission many times over the years, Dr. Thompkins was one of Batman's greatest allies in his fight to end crime in Gotham City. She was someone that he could confide in either to help treat his myriad of wounds he accumulated as Batman, or offer comfort and advice when the grief of losing his parents threatened to consume him.

"Bruce, Barbara," Leslie greeted her two visitors as she turned to finish bandaging up the young patient sitting in the chair in front of her. "I'm glad you two decided to take time out of your busy schedules to visit me."

"I always take time out to visit the person who helped raise me," Bruce replied with a smile of his own. "Everything has been blasting by me with rapidity the past few weeks, that it's good to visit a friendly face who isn't surprised to see the side of me I've been showing in my campaign."

"Your father would be so proud of you if you could see you right now, Bruce," Dr. Thompkins repeated the sentiment Alfred shared with Bruce when they were at the debate two weeks before, reminding Bruce once again that the many years of being an orphan had caused his memory of his parents to fog. So many years had passed since he had last seen his mother and father, and although he could remember certain incidents in their time together, he couldn't remember what exactly what kind of people they were prior to that evening.

Once the patient Dr. Thompkins was attending to was all bandaged up, Bruce handed the patient his crutch and gave him a quick smile, to which the patient quickly nodded his head before putting the crutch under his left shoulder and hobbling out the door. "...Barbara, I'd like to speak to Dr. Thompkins in private for a bit," Bruce turned to his longtime crimefighting partner. "Could you please wait outside for just a little while?"

"Sure thing," Barbara replied before waving goodbye. "I'll be waiting for you in the waiting room...duh, right?"

With Barbara closing the door behind her, Dr. Thompkins smile faded into a more serious expression, one that had become a very frequent look on her face thanks to Bruce's behavior when night had fallen and Batman roamed the streets. "...I don't know how you can keep doing what you do when you have someone like Barbara around, Bruce," Dr. Thompkins said solemnly as she turned to the bloody instruments sitting on a metal tray and picked up an alcohol wipe. "That young lady had a wonderful life before your secrets crippled her."

"I didn't force Barbara to do anything, Leslie," Bruce replied with equal seriousness as he watched Dr. Thompkins clean the blood from the instruments. "She has been an invaluable ally and I doubt I would still be alive if not for the many times she has helped me through tough cases. She enjoys what she does...or else I would have forbidden her to-"

"She claims she enjoys being Oracle, but I've worked with too many people with eyes just like hers," Dr. Thompkins interjected, still focusing on her instruments and not giving Bruce eye contact. "Do you know what I see in her eyes, Bruce? The same thing I see in the eyes of those who lose the ability to be able to stand upright and walk by themselves. She continues being Oracle, Bruce, because she does not want to disappoint you. All of the debts and all of the trump cards she's delivered cannot compare to what the Joker took from her...what her life as Batgirl ultimately cost her."

"...thank you for letting me bring Vicki to this clinic, Leslie," Bruce said after a pause to contemplate what Dr. Thompkins just said to him, remembering how close he was to becoming the evil he swore to fight on that night when his longtime nemesis permanently crippled Barbara and forever ended what was a thrilling career as Batgirl. Unlike Dick or Jason, Batgirl joined Batman's fight as a complete outsider to Bruce Wayne's life, and she loved the adventure even more passionately than Batman. Batman indulged her, perhaps due to the respect he had for Commissioner Gordon, and seeing the joy of being Batgirl robbed from Barbara almost forced Batman to end his no-killing rule with the Joker's unforgivable crime. "I think this will really help my campaign to become mayor."

"It's not a real campaign though...is it, Bruce?" Dr. Thompkins replied before finally turning to face Bruce, revealing a deep sorrow and disappointment in her blue eyes. "This is just another charade of Bruce Wayne, pretending to be the good dull-witted billionaire while he carries out another plan in his secret agenda. The people of Gotham might be fooled, Bruce, but I've been around you far too long for me to be fall in line with them."

"...has Alfred been talking to you?" Bruce said lowly.

"Jean-Paul, actually," she answered. "I'm sure you can imagined how thrilled I was when Jean-Paul came to me doorstep a couple of days ago after how I thought him dead for so long. Unfortunately, the joy I felt that he was alive and well was dampered when he told me he was looking for Jason, and carrying out a case for you that involves the election. Not only are the two boys that are like grandchildren to me trying to tear each apart, but now you're bringing all of Gotham City into your game."

"This is no game, Leslie," Bruce replied as he walked next to Leslie and pulled out an alcohol wipe of his own, cleaning up the blood that managed to stain the chair the patient was sitting at. "There are people's lives at stake, and I couldn't sit idly by and let Crux build up voters when I know he's up to something sinister. I just didn't expect for my popularity to suddenly...explode like it has been as of late."

Finally, Dr. Thompkins relented and a smile formed on her face, placing a hand on Bruce's shoulder. "Do you know why, Bruce? Because by acting out this charade, you've allowed your true self to show through, and the people of Gotham are realizing that this is who you really are. By mixing your two lives together, you are now complete...and that's why I want to ask you to forget about this case and give this campaign your undivided attention. Let the police handle this...and instead worry about bringing your broken family together."

"...you said Jean-Paul came to you looking for Jason. Have you seen him?" Bruce evaded the uncomfortable reality of how his campaign had already superceded his life as Batman, being it had been almost a month since he had last donned the cape and cowl. "It's not like Jason to suddenly disappear after making such a bold statement, like what he did at Wayne Enterprises. I'm starting to worry that someone got to him."

"...no."

"You're lying," Bruce said sternly as he turned to face his surrogate mother with a cold glare. "Jason is not well, Leslie. If I want to bring my family together, especially if there's a possibility that 'Mayor Wayne' will make the Batman an afterthought, first I need to address the members of the family who need the most attention."

"Even if I did know, Bruce, I wouldn't tell you," Leslie shot back with a glare of her own. "There was something vile in Jean-Paul's eyes when he spoke to me about Jason. He called him a Judas that betrayed his family and perverted your name...I don't know what sort of lies you told Jean-Paul to make him feel that way about Jason, but Jason is supposed to be your son. Instead you send another member of your family and turn them against one another, so that Jason doesn't interfere with this campaign."

Bruce and Dr. Thompkins looked into each other's eyes for what seemed like forever, scanning for any kind of flicker that would indicate that the other would break. Jason Todd's life as the Red Hood was an almost constant source of grief and pain for both of them, knowing that someone they cared deeply for was now one of Batman's most violent enemies: a madman that wasn't afraid of lashing out at the rest of Bruce's surrogate family if it meant getting a rise out of his former mentor. He was so much like Jean-Paul when the blonde youth first came into Batman's life...and somehow that made the rivalry between Jason and Jean-Paul that much more bloody.

Jason was too dangerous to just write off after his current absence. He was up to something, and Bruce needed to stop him before whatever plan he concocted came into fruition. Unfortunately for him, the only person who knew of Jason's whereabouts wasn't willing to talk. Perhaps Dr. Thompkins was right about Bruce: he was caring too much for his campaign and not enough about Jason's personal plight that was driving him further down the path of madness he exhibited during the press conference and the Wayne Enterprises attack.

The two of them opened their mouths to say something, but before a word could come out, the door opened to reveal someone who both of them could agree on being a blight to Gotham City. Standing at the door of the room was none other than the very same man that once tried to bulldoze Leslie's office, and the rest of Crime Alley, to further his own selfish ambitions to surpass Bruce as the top billionaire in Gotham City. Even though his true personality had been made public, Dr. Thompkins and Bruce were some of the "privileged" few to see the true face of the monster that was Roland Daggett.

"I apologize if I'm interrupting," the red-haired businessman said as he chewed on the toothpick in his mouth, "but Dr. Thompkins and I have an appointment. I would appreciate it if you would step outside, Mr. Wayne."

Bruce's eyes narrowed as he recalled how he called out Daggett during the debate two weeks prior. Throughout the many encounters Bruce had with him over the years, either as Batman or as regular Bruce Wayne, Daggett's greed was matched only by his overwhelming sinister intent. If someone wronged him, then he took every measure to get his revenge, no matter how dirty or evil that revenge might be. If Daggett was here at Dr. Thompkins' office, then it could have only spelled trouble. No matter what kind of spat he and Leslie were having, he wasn't going to leave her to Daggett's villany.

"I'll save you the trouble, Roland: I'm not interested in your clinic," Dr. Thompkins snapped at the man who had caused her so much grief over the years, saving Bruce the trouble of telling him off. "After all of the horrible things you've done to me, and all of the things you've tried to do to this community, I should just call the police right now."

Daggett only grinned at Dr. Thompkins' defiance before turning to his longtime rival. "Mr. Wayne, I'm sure you of all people can advocate for me about growing up. I admit, I did some ill-advised activities in this area, but you can rest assured that if I'm making an offer to someone, it's because I believe it can be a mutually beneficial experience."

"You won't find any advocacy from me, Roland," Bruce growled as he put himself between Daggett and Leslie, noticing that Daggett had two large men behind him. "I still remember quite vividly how you tried to run me out of business, and I especially remember how you tried to run this community out of their homes. You'll have to do a lot more than endorse another mayoral candidate to make me believe that you're being sincere."

Daggett's smile widened further as his eyes narrowed, reminding Bruce that he had not changed one bit since rebuilding his empire from bankruptcy. The fortune might have returned, but the corruption was as thick as ever. "Mr. Wayne, I think I should explain to you the offer I've given Dr. Thompkins. As you know, I've opened a hospital on the South End of Gotham City: one that is open to every citizen in Gotham with perfectly affordable payment options, even for the lower class. What I'm doing here is offering Dr. Thompkins the position of head doctor: life insurance, retirement funds, a competent staff, everything that is denied of her in her current situation."

"I've heard a lot of bad stories about that place, Bruce," Dr. Thompkins countered as Bruce continued to remain at her defense. "Anything Daggett has his hands in is bound to be tainted in some way, and some of my fellow doctors have been telling me stories about malpractice. I've sacrificed so many things to continue being a doctor, but the last thing I'm going to sacrifice is what I still have left of my integrity."

"That is why I'm offering you this position, Ms. Thompkins," Daggett replied a smirk. "I'd like to think that with your help, we'll be able to clean up the malpractice and give my troublesome staff a complete...facelift, you could say."

_What an odd choice of words, considering the killer surgeon has been doing a few more facelifts in the past few weeks, _Bruce reminded himself of the case that started the entire campaign in the first place, where a mysterious serial killer was harvesting organs from his victims in a very precise and professional manner, before cutting off the victim's face and leaving a mask of bandages in his wake. _It wouldn't be out of the question if Daggett had a hand in this...but the real question would be, how does Crux tie into it?_

"Get out of my clinic, Daggett," Dr. Thompkins growled as she brushed past Bruce and pointed to the door, "and take your thugs with you."

"...I'll leave the offer sheet out in the front," Daggett replied as his smile faded and he turned around. "I can see that you need time to weigh your options. I'll give you a call when your temper has cooled and you take the opportunity to read the full benefits package." Lifting his hand to wave farewell, Daggett motioned for his men to leave with his other hand before turning his head to look at Bruce. "Oh, and Mr. Wayne...please do be more mindful of your manners. I would prefer if my unsavory past was kept hush-hush, so we could instead look towards the future."

* * *

Even though there was a case at hand, Riddler could only think about what the future would hold if he managed to pull this off.

Placing his trademark purple domino mask in his pocket, the recently-reformed career criminal looked into the mirror and marveled at his disguise. He might not have been the master fighter that Batman and Catwoman were, but he was skilled enough to silently subdue one of the doctors that passed him in the hallway and take his scrubs so that he could infiltrate Daggett South Hospital. The stories he had heard about the place were the stuff of Dr. Mengele's nightmares, and it was a wonder why Riddler had never been commissioned to investigate it before now.

It had been almost a month since Riddler accepted the task of uncovering the secret life of Tammany Crux, hired by the man that had at one time been his greatest enemy. When he first took up the case, he expected constant handholding and supervision from Batman's cronies, who no doubt didn't trust him from his more rebellious years. To his surprise, however, Bruce Wayne had allowed Riddler complete freedom to do what he did best, and that was solve puzzles.

Selina's intel led him to Daggett's little medical front, and after two weeks of planning and plotting, Riddler was now taking the dive into the facility posing as the illustrious Dr. Nashton. Riddler knew enough about medicine to run through the motions should he be asked to actually treat someone, so it wasn't like his disguise was unreasonable. The big reason he was there was because Tammany Crux had been seen coming in and out of the building rather frequently. Any time Crux held a speech, it was near this hospital. Any time Crux was doing a social visit, it was in this hospital. Before he ran for mayor, Tammany Crux was offered a full-time position in this hospital.

It didn't take a master of riddles to figure out that Crux spent a lot more time in this hospital than he should have. And now, Riddler was going to find out why.

Brushing back his brown hair, Riddler couldn't help but smile as he put on his surgical mask that would prevent anyone from recognizing him. _Things are finally starting to work out for you, Eddie, _Riddler thought gleefully as he stepped out of the bathroom and into the florescent-lit corridors of the hospital. _Not only have I finally come into your own as a master detective, but even the big bad Batman is acknowledging just how valuable I really am. The look on Batman's face when he realizes I've saved his campaign all by myself will be more rewarding than any kind of money I'll get!_

The conversation he had with Selina about how Gotham City's masked criminal community passed them by was still fresh in Riddler's mind: it was a constant source of frustration how he would be continuously overlooked because he didn't see the need to kill people unless it was absolutely necessary. Whereas his riddles and capers were once a constant source of frustration for Batman and the police, it wasn't until he and Tommy Elliott created the Hush character that the Dark Knight finally recognized his abilities.

But Riddler's view had changed since then. Ever since discovering that Bruce Wayne and the Batman were two sides of the same coin, his need to challenge Batman with his deathtraps had gone away, as had his need to commit crimes to get his attention. Now he realized that the best way to achieve ultimate victory over his greatest rival would be to prove that he could do just as good of a job at being a detective...if not just a bit better. Batman often relied on intimidation to get the information he needed to solve the case, but if Riddler could pull this off, he would have proved to Batman that all he needed was his intellect and nothing else.

If Riddler succeeded in this case in which Bruce Wayne had given him complete creative freedom, his ultimate victory would be secured and he would take his coveted spot among Gotham City's masked protectors, whether Batman himself liked it or not.

"Doctor," a young woman said as Riddler passed her by, stopping to turn to the disguised detective. "Dr. Crux requires your assistance in the Emergency Room. Could you follow me, please?"

Recognizing the slender woman as a nurse, "Dr. Nashton" nodded his head silently and followed the nurse as her hips swayed back and forth, almost hypnotically. "May I just say that you are far too lovely to be working as a nurse, ma'am," Dr. Nashton said with a grin beneath his surgical mask as he was led to an elevator. Watching the woman cover her red lips with a surgical mask of her own, Dr. Nashton took a whiff of her perfume and turned on the Nygma charm. "I think someone like yourself would prove to be a worthwhile distraction for our patients..."

"...that's the idea," the woman replied coolly.

Looking at the lights above the elevator door, Riddler watched it reach the bottom floor and waited for the door to open...only for the light to remain lit on the "L" but the elevator to continue moving down. _A secret floor...now we're getting somewhere, _Riddler mused excitedly as his body tensed up. Turning to see that the woman remained as cool as ever, the master of puzzles made the connection that the nurse must have been one of Crux's conspirators in whatever plan they were carrying out. _Maybe now I'll figure out once and for all what Crux is all about!_

After another minute, the elevator door finally opened to reveal what seemed to be a very large, very dark room, with the only source of light coming from the center. Following the nice-smelling nurse out of the elevator, Dr. Nashton walked on the hard floor and tried to make out exactly where he was. It was very odd for a room to be so dark in what was supposed to be an emergency room, where light needed to be present at all times for there to be a successful surgery. As he turned to the center of the room, the only source of light, he noticed that there were several people gathered around in a circle: all but one of them women shaped just like his escort.

"...I've brought him, Dr. Crux," the woman said with as much emotion as a cinderblock while Dr. Nashton stepped forward to see that Crux was already dressed in full surgical apparel with his glasses off. "Dr. Nashton, please wash your hands in this dish and be ready to assist."

"...of course," Dr. Nashton nodded his head once before turning to the bowl of liquid laying next to him and putting his hands in it, tensing up a bit from the sting of the alcohol. Once he was clean, Dr. Nashton put on his rubber gloves and walked next to Dr. Crux. "What is the situation, Dr. Crux?"

"The patient was hit by a car this afternoon, breaking the third and fourth rungs on both sides of her ribcage," Crux stated with eerie calmness, almost with a hint of contentment. With another one of the well-shaped nurses pulling the patient up to the center of the room, Crux and Nashton looked down at the unconscious woman whose face was covered with a mask that fueled her anesthetic into her body. "We just finished putting her under, so now we can begin."

A faint sparkle caught Nashton's eye as he and Crux stepped into the light to begin surgery. There was something hanging around Crux's neck as he reached for his buzzsaw to cut open the torso that hid the ribcage...and what he saw made Nashton realized that whatever Crux was going to do with that buzzsaw, it wasn't to heal this poor woman lying in front of them. Wrapped around Crux's neck was a necklace with a jade ring pendant hanging from the bottom...the very same jade pendant that Tommy Elliot kept on his person at all times...

...even during his activities as Hush.

_I need to do something, _Nashton thought as Crux turned on the buzzsaw and prepared to cut the woman open, noticing the glint of sadism in Crux's eyes. _He's going to kill that woman if I don't-_

Too late.

With the nurses watching him without saying a word, Crux placed the rapidly-spinning buzzsaw between his patient's breasts and cut open her chest vertically, causing blood to spray on Crux and Nashton's scrubs. Nashton fought the urge to recoil as Crux turned off the buzzsaw and placed the bloody instrument to the side, where one of the nurses carefully cleaned it up. "Dr. Nashton, please hand me scalpels 4 and 9," Crux said calmly as he held out his hand.

Not wanting to expose himself, Nashton gave Crux the scalpels he requested and allowed the "killer surgeon" to continue with his work. He wanted to stop him, but there were far too many people for him to successfully do so and be able to get out of there in one piece. He had come to Daggett South Hospital hoping to solve the case and put an end to the Killer Surgeon, but instead he had stumbled onto his lair and was forced to do nothing but watch him show Nashton what it was like to be part of his crime.

"...list, please."

"Patient's blood type matches the heart transplant required by Dr. Mezzard," one of the nurses said robotically, reading off of a list in her hand. As she spoke, two of the nurses carted in a large cooler, opening the lid to reveal layers of ice packs. "Patient's blood type matches the kidney requested by Dr. Uma. Patient's blood type matches the liver requested by Dr. Kazari."

"...then let's not keep them waiting," Crux said with an unsettling sense of optimism before reaching past the broken ribcage and using his tools to start cutting off the arteries connecting the woman's heart to her chest.

The color drained from Nashton's face as he realized what was going on. This wasn't a surgery to save this woman: it was a surgery to kill her. Had he wanted to, Crux could have put a bullet in the woman's brain and be done with it, but instead he brought her into this hidden room of a hospital under false pretenses. This man was supposed to her doctor trying to save her life, and now he was cutting her open like a turkey.

"Stop..."

"Pardon?" Crux turned to face Nashton, holding a bloody scalpel in one hand and a bloody heart in the other, beating its last beats after being disconnected from its rightful place in the body. Watching the heart stop moving, Nashton swallowed a mouthful of bile and tried to get some color back into his face while Crux gave him a quizzical look. "Oh, that's right...you're still new around here. Don't worry, Dr. Nashton: we'll make sure you're well-compensated for your troubles."

"O-of course," Nashton nodded his head nervously as the sweat started beading down his brow. "Please continue, Dr. Crux...it's very interesting watching you work."

Nashton placed the heart in the ice cooler before moving to work on another section of the body. Even though his work was nothing short of disgusting, Nashton grimly admitted that he was an absolute master at murdering someone during surgery. Lesser killers wouldn't have been so careful in how they mutiliated their victims. Crux, on the other hand, moved quickly and carefully, cutting open the woman's body and removing the parts listed without causing needless damage to the so-called patient. The only thing keeping the woman alive now was the apparatus she was connected to, and very soon that would be disconnected.

With the patient's heart, kidney, and liver removed and safely placed in their respective coolers, Dr. Crux took the cleaned buzzsaw off of his tray and turned to the woman's head. "Doctor, please help sew up the chest cavity while I finish the surgery," Crux gently nudged Nashton to the side as the disguised Riddler was handed a pair of needles with the familar medical stitch attached to them. "This shouldn't take much longer."

_Thank God for that, _Nashton thought with relief as he began sewing the patient who would probably be listed as having a "terminal episode" when everything was said and done. As the Riddler, he once called himself part of the fraternity of Gotham's supervillain community, and was quite familiar at how his "partners" would treat human life. Of course, that didn't make it any less nauseating for him when the Joker would show him tapes of Killer Croc feasting on the flesh of cops, at which point he would start to turn as green as his suit while the Joker erupted into a cackle.

The sound of the buzzsaw whirring caused Nashton to turn his head away from the needles that he had only a vague understanding of how to use, and what he saw almost caused him to puke right then and there. As if taking the woman's organs wasn't bad enough, now he was using the buzzsaw to cut off the woman's face like it were a piece of cheese. With the same surgical precision he used with the other organs, Crux carefully peeled off the face as the flesh loosened from the head, until all that was left of the woman's head was a fresh skull while her face was placed in another ice cooler.

Nashton could understand harvesting the organs, but under what premise would Crux want the face?

"D-d-done, sir," Nashton stammered as he finished sewing up the corpse.

"Excellent work, doctor," Crux said as he took off his mask to show off that unsettling smile of his. "The girls can handle the rest. Why don't you come up with me to the lobby and we'll see where we go off to next."

Turning around to see that the nurses were already bandaging up the woman's head, just like the other victims of this killer surgeon that now stood before him as a possible candidate for mayor, Nashton gulped as he followed Crux into the elevator and watched the door close behind him. If his suspicions about Crux's true identity weren't confirmed when he spotted the jade pendant, the precision he used to dissect his next victim certainly gave it away...but surely Crux realized this. Why was he being so friendly to Nashton?

"...riddle me this, my friend."

Nashton felt his heart skip a beat as Crux caused said to him the same thing Nashton had told many, many other people over the years. _He knows, _Nashton thought nervously as he turned to face Crux, who appeared as jovial as ever. "Mr. Crux?"

"How is a zombie like a gorilla?"

"...because dead men tell no tales, and a gorilla has no tail," Nashton answered impulsively, realizing all too late that he had just confirmed Crux's suspicion.

"Keep this between us, or you might wind up like the former," Crux growled quietly, his smile vanishing into a face of anger and sinister intent. With the elevator door opening in the lobby, Crux quickly put his smile back on and pulled out his glasses from his pocket before walking out the door and leaving the terrified Riddler behind. Waving goodbye to his unwitting doctor on duty, Crux kissed his jade pendant and gave Riddler a wink. "Stay safe, Dr. Nashton...you never what kind of hazard you'll run into in their life of ours."

"Oh, I'll be sure to remain quiet, Dr. Crux," Nashton replied with a wave of his own as the elevator doors closed in front of him. "In fact...you can bet if anyone asks, I'll fall into a perfect hush."


	8. Chapter 8

"What've you got for me, Bullock?"

"Answers," the surly detective replied to his police commissioner as the two walked with each other up the winding stairs of Gotham City Police department. "We finally found a connection between the murder victims of that surgeon guy. I've been doing some snooping around with the guys from forensics, and it looks like everyone who've been bumped off and cut up used to work for Daggett in some way."

Even though the two of them had contacted Batman to help them on the case of the killer surgeon when the ordeal began, the Dark Knight's absence had forced Commissioner Gordon and Detective Bullock to continue doing their own investigation into the murders. That wasn't to say Batman had abandoned them, being that Azrael and Robin still kept in regular contact with Gordon, but it was very conspicuous that Batman would suddenly disappear in the middle of a case without telling Gordon that he was going to be leaving for a while.

On top of that, there was the upcoming mayoral election to worry about. With only a week before the booths opened for votes, the Gotham City Police Department still could not apprehend the Red Hood after his attacks on Bruce Wayne. Red Hood was wanted for so many crimes since his debut, mostly involving the brutal butchering of his fellow criminals and displaying the type of vigilante behavior that Gordon forbade. Batman's brand of vigilantism was a necessary exception, but Red Hood's brand of vigilantism was too far by any stretch of the imagination.

With Batman apparently missing in action and Red Hood still at large, the fruits of Bullock's investigation was probably the only good news they'd heard in a long time.

"What sort of connections?" Gordon asked as he took off his glasses and cleaned them with a handerchief in his pocket.

"The first victim, a Mr. Don Jehova, worked for Daggett Industries on the West side for seven years before it closed down," Bullock explained, handing Gordon first of several folders wrapped in the large policeman's arms. "Before getting a job there, he was a stool pigeon down at Blackgate, made a lot of enemies by pointing fingers before he got released on parole. After he took a job down at Daggett Industries, his parole officer left him alone. From what his family told me, before he got that job, he was thinking about joining Joker's gang, so it ain't like he just up and saw the error of his ways, if you know what I mean."

"I remember this guy. 'Jehova's Witness,' they used to call him," Gordon opened the file and recognized the mugshot of the stocky man that he had seen numerous times around the Gotham City Police Department, usually in cuffs with a policeman forcefully pressing his thumb on ink for fingerprints. "So I guess instead of running with the Joker, Jehova got a better offer from Daggett. Not only could he have a legal front that kept his family happy, but he could take up some extra money by doing dirty work for Daggett."

"Poor bastard left behind a wife and son. His lady must've had a patience of a saint to deal with a guy like him," Bullock replied with a smirk before opening the next file in his arms. "The next victim was a Mrs. Martha Googliata, married to one of Daggett's old muscle down in the South End, George 'Googs' Googliata. Martha used to be a hooker until Daggett hired her as a receptionist at his new hospital on the South End. That place where the perp dumped her body was where her pimp would meet up with her."

"...how about the next one?" Gordon asked after a pause, going through the connections in his head.

"Next one is...Ms. Nancy Norwell, college student at Gotham U. She was working on getting her doctorate at Daggett's new hospital. No criminal record that we could find," Bullock replied after thumbing through the next file in the stack after giving Martha Googliata's file to Gordon. "Her old roommate said that the head doctor was giving her the creeps. He'd always be smiling at her like he wanted to get into her pants, and then he'd tell her that she was going to go far. Kinda surprised she didn't file a harassment lawsuit."

Gordon peeked over Bullock's shoulder to get a good look at the young lady, seeing if he recognized her. Deciding that he had never seen her before, he went back to the two files still in his hand and tried to piece together the connection between them apart from working for Daggett. Jehova and Googliata were understandable, being they were prone to falling into bad crowds, but how did Norwell fit in? What did they stumble upon that forced Daggett to silence them, if Daggett was a part of all of this?

"Now this next one should really give you a laugh," Bullock said with a mischievous grin as Gordon took Norwell's file from him, allowing him to go to the next file in the stack. "These next three murders, we found out that they're all in-laws. Samantha and Samuel Irwin were twins that used to work at one of Black Mask's legitimate businesses. Samuel was married to Jennifer Irwin, who used to work for the same pimp that Martha worked for when they were both into that sort of thing."

"Did the twins work for Daggett at the time of their demise?"

"You got it," Bullock nodded his head. "All three of them were hired by Daggett to work at either the complex on the East End, or the hospital on the South End. And get this: all thirteen of the victims not only worked for Daggett, but all of them suffered some kind of injury before being taken to the hospital, where the perp probably did his work on them before dumping their bodies across the city. Broken arm from getting caught in a hydraulic press, broken kneecap from tripping over a broom, torn quad, broken ribcage...and all of them were recommended to the same doctor, who met them at the hospital and did the surgery they needed."

"Murdering those poor people when he was supposed to help them...what a scumbag," Gordon shook his head as the two of them reached the end of the long staircase. With Bullock pushing open the door for his fearless leader, Gordon walked through and turned his head so that he was still facing Bullock as the detective trailed behind him. "So speak up, Bullock. Who is our 'killer surgeon' that's been driving us crazy the past month?"

"...Tammany Crux," Bullock said with that same grin he sported when he discovered something particularly sinister. "You know how Crux was a doctor at Gotham General Hospital before he started running for mayor? Turns out that he'd been working at Daggett South Hospital the past month as part of his 'humanitarian' campaign or whatever. Looks like the reason Daggett's been funding his campaign is because he gets a free surgeon out of it...and from the looks of things, he got a lot of fresh organ donors out of it, too."

"...right. Let's turn on the signal," Gordon said after a pause, motioning for Bullock to activate the switch for the massive modified searchlight that summoned Batman to the rooftop. "Once we tell him what we found, we'll get an arrest warrant out for Crux. We'll write him up for the murders of all of those people he betrayed and butchered, and then once we get him dead to rights, we'll be able to nail Daggett-"

"That won't be necessary, Commissioner."

Hearing a voice coming from the still-unlit searchlight, Bullock activated the other lights on the rooftop to reveal the youth that had been already standing on the rooftop waiting for Gordon and Bullock to approach him. "...well, if it ain't the Boy Wonder," Bullock grumbled as he looked at the hooded young man standing next to the searchlight silently. "No offense, kid, but Gordon and I are waiting for your boss. Where the hell has he been the past month, anyway?"

"He's...been doing his own investigation, just like we've all been doing," Robin replied as he pulled down his hood to reveal his masked face, also revealing a small smattering of bruising around his cheek. "With the election not too far off, Batman has been searching for the Red Hood while Azrael and I have been keeping up with the killer surgeon case."

"...you said that we wouldn't need to get a warrant out for Crux," Gordon interjected. "Did you find something that proved his innocence."

"Sort of," Robin said grimly. "We found him about an hour ago at Daggett Food Innovations. He's...he's dead."

* * *

Dead.

When he returned to Gotham City, Azrael did so hoping to start over fresh, where he could wipe clean the veil of deceit he had put on for so long and resume his duties as the city's protector. With Nicholas Scratch still alive and Carlton Lehah still alive, Azrael let the world believe he dead for so long so that the burning hatred his two arch-enemies had for him would burn out, and they would accept their fate as prisoners of Blackgate. With Azrael returning so long after that fateful battle, he could aid Batman and tell the world that he was not dead after all.

And now, the man he owed his life to after that fateful battle nearly killed him was clinically dead.

"Uhhh.."

Turning his head to see one of Daggett's thugs start to regain consciousness, Azrael cracked his neck before slowly walking over to the stirring oaf and prepared to start his interrogation anew. When Robin and Azrael heard rumors about a body being held in the freezer of Daggett Food Innovations, they immediately set course for the building hoping that it would lead to another clue that connected Crux to the killer surgeon. To their surprise, Daggett's goons were guarding the freezer like there were gold bricks located inside.

Several punches, kicks, and unconscious bodies later, the two of them opened the freezer to see Crux's corpse, mutilated in the exact same away as the other victims.

Picking up the man by the collar of his winter jacket, Azrael's eyes narrowed as the ultra-violent vigilante of old started to well up inside of him. Even if Crux was the culprit, no one deserved to be mutilated the way he was mutilated. He would find out who was behind it, and he would bring him to justice in the harshest manner possible. By the time he found out who did it, prison would be a mercy he thanked God for.

"This is how we shall do this, vermin," Azrael hissed as he lifted his other hand and activated the mechanism within the gauntlet that set it aflame. Holding the burning hand just outside of the man's cheek so that he could feel the flames, the young man that at one point wore the mantle of Batman let his anger simmer into a quiet hiss. "I want to know what happened to Crux. If you tell me what I want to know, you can go to prison with your face intact. If you lie to me...then I will brand you and all of your inmates will know what happened here."

"W-we didn't kill the guy," the thug said nervously, wincing as the fire inched closer to his face.

"Then why were you guarding the body so no one would find it?" Azrael growled, bringing his fiery hand just close enough that it singed what was left of his beard.

"The others and I, we...we just started guarding this place a couple of days ago. Someone broke in here and opened that freezer, and then when Daggett heard about it, he had us make sure nobody snooped around it anymore," the thug's eyes impulsively shifted to the burning hand that was continously getting closer, wondering what sort of horrible scar he would get if Azrael didn't believe him. "D-don't you think if I knew anything else I'd tell ya? Daggett just pays me to be muscle, I ain't got the brains for pulling off a murder and hiding it from everyone like this!"

"Who broke in?" Azrael growled.

"I...I dunno," the thug answered with his eyes wavering in fear.

"...you're lying."

"I'M NOT," the thug screamed just as Azrael reared his burning hand back for a scorching swipe. "We figured it was one of you guys who found the body. Daggett put us here so that the cops didn't start snooping in when you told them!"

"Too bad for you losers, then, because guess who started sticking their nose in your business?"

Before Azrael could administer his fiery brand of interrogation on the thug, the familar voice of Harvey Bullock echoed throughout the vacuous space of the processing room, causing Azrael to reluctantly toss the thug at Bullock's feet while Gordon and Robin trailed behind them. "He says that someone was here before we were. He and his cohorts were shooting at us because Daggett ordered any interlopers to be silenced."

Without skipping a beat, Azrael turned to the opened walk-in freezer and motioned for his own comrades to follow him aside. Thanks to the heat-based properties of his costume, Azrael did not shiver from the intense cold from within the freezer, though he felt pity for Gordon, Bullock, and Robin who did their best not to shake uncontrollably as the bitter chill embraced their flesh. The chill that Azrael felt from the locker did not come from the temperature, but from the aura of death that filled it. All around them were cadavers of cows and chickens, stripped of their flesh with their muscles and tendons exposed.

And deep within the freezer, at the very back, was a different cadaver that had its parts removed for different purposes. The cows and chickens were at least butchered with mercy: the corpse that they were looking for was butchered in a most grotesque manner, with his face peeled over and hastily covered with a layer of bandages.

"So...how do we know this is Crux?" Gordon said after a an uneasy silence. It was never easy to accept that someone would kill their fellow human being like they did with this corpse, stripping the corpse of his clothing and leaving the surgery scars in plain sight, revealing where he had harvested the victims organs and letting whatever unfortunate soul that stumbled onto the corpse admire his work. Even more unsettling was that this killer had been repeating his crime on several different people. "It's hard to get an ID from here without doing a DNA test or a fingerprint sample."

"We tested his fingerprints from here," Robin stepped forward and revealed a handheld device in his hand. Stepping next to the corpse hanging from the ceiling via a meat hook curved into his back, the Boy Wonder took the corpse's index finger and pressed it against the screen of the device. A few seconds later, the screen lit up and revealed a picture of a noticably younger Tammany Crux than the one that had been running for mayor the past month. "His fingerprints match the ones he took when he first applied for his doctor's license. It's the real deal."

"Look at all of this frost," Gordon stepped forward and carefully picked off a small spike of ice that was growing from the corpse's bandages. "He must have been here for at least a couple of months. If he's been here all of this time, then who the hell has been trying to get into office? I thought for sure that Tammany Crux was the killer surgeon we've been looking for."

"He probably is," Bullock interjected as he got a closer look at the corpse. "If Daggett went through all of this trouble to keep anyone from finding his prize turkey here, then the Crux we've been seeing on TV isn't the same Crux that we got right here. I bet Daggett hired his resident doctor and got all of the paperwork ready so that he could run for mayor under his name. I bet this piece of meat was the killer surgeon's very first victim: what better way to start a killing spree by killing the guy whose name you're gonna credit?"

"That couldn't have been an easy switch," Robin added, pointing at what little remained of the blood stains that came from the corpse. "Whenever someone runs for mayor, they need to go through a background check to make sure that there isn't any foul play. For our killer surgeon to have impersonated Crux without being caught, he would have needed to have created forgeries of Crux's fingerprints and be able to hide his own fingerprints when he went to the station. That kind of impersonation is something that even Clayface would have trouble pulling off."

"It's not easy, but not impossible," Azrael said solemnly. "Whoever killed this man must be an absolute genius to have taken that into account. If we didn't stumble onto this body, then he could have continued being Tammany Crux and no one would have been the wiser. A cold-blooded murderer that harvests the organs of his victims and steals their faces, running the city with the rest of the world completely ignorant to his true face...I wish that did not make so much sense."

There was a twitch of uneasiness from Azrael as he spoke those words, one that Commissioner Gordon instantly recognized, having seen it many times before when a policeman lost his or her partner in the line of duty. "Azrael," he said softly, placing a comforting hand as Azrael as the vigilante clenched his fists. "Did you...did you know this victim?"

"...yes, Commissioner," Azrael nodded his head slowly before looking up at the corpse and the missing face. "I did...but none of that matters now, right? Whatever man he was before this is gone forever, taken away from us by our killer surgeon and then violated by having his identity stolen from him and perverted to match the perpetrator's machinations. Now...now he is just a clue that will finally lead us to this madman."

"I'm sorry for your loss, Azrael," Gordon patted Azrael on the shoulder before standing next to him and following his gaze to the wrapped head that marked all that remained of the man the corpse used to be before the killer surgeon stole his face. "The most I can offer you is that now that we know that Tammany Crux is an imposter, we can get a warrant out for his arrest and stop him from ever coming close to being elected into office. You and Robin did this man proud...I imagine if he were still alive, he'd shed a tear of joy knowing that the man who wronged him in the worst way imaginable was brought to justice."

"Right," Bullock nodded his head before pulling out his walkie-talkie. "I'm gonna call this in. I think we can take it from here."

* * *

"Pull over, Azrael," Robin shouted to his crime-fighting comrade as the two of them soared through the cold night air.

Without saying a word, Azrael complied with Robin's request, retracting his grappling hook back into his gauntlet and using his cape to gracefully glide down to the rooftop below them. With Robin landing close behind him, the Boy Wonder took note of how Azrael's uneasy twitching had not yet gone away, which gave him plenty of reason to worry. Usually when he began twitching like that, the violent and mentally unstable "System" persona was about to take over and lash out at anyone he perceived as violating his "morals."

Braving the possibility that Azrael could lash out and ignoring how close he came to dying the last time Azrael was like that, Robin pressed forward. "Your body language when we found the body wasn't normal. You looked like you knew exactly who the corpse was even before I ID'd him for fingerprints. What was the deal was that?"

"...I'm sure you remember how I was reported dead after that fight with Scratch and LeHah," Azrael replied grimly. "By all accounts, I should have been dead after that fight...and I was perfectly prepared to die after all of the atrocities and sins I had committed when I betrayed Batman's trust in me and went wild under his name. I blacked out, thinking that I would be passing on and face judgment...but when I awoken, it was not in Heaven or Hell, but in a doctor's office."

"Crux?"

"Yes," Azrael nodded his head before pulling off his hood and mask and letting his blonde hair fall down, revealing the pained expression on his face. "He...he patched me up, fixed my broken body, allowed me to live with him. He arranged for me to work at Gotham General Hospital under an alias, and I accepted the fact that even though my body had recovered, my will to fight as Azrael had gone away. I watched you and the others continue to get along fine without me...so I accepted fate and decided to become a healer."

"You could have told us," Robin said lowly. "Your death really shook us up, even though you hadn't been a regular part of the team for a while. Cassandra really took your death hard...you could have at least told her."

"I...I wasn't ready to return. I would have come back to you eventually...but three months ago, Crux suddenly disappeared. He didn't have any family to ask the police, and he didn't have many friends as he was considered an eccentric. After three weeks of nothing, I suddenly saw him on television announcing his candidacy for mayor. Not once in the time I knew him did he show even an inkling of interest in politics...and there was something very different about his body language," Azrael continued before reaching into his cape and pulling out a small photograph, waiting for Robin to walk over to see it. Once Robin got a good look at the bispectacled man standing upright in a white coat, the story continued. "So...so I put on one of my spare suits and went to discover the truth."

"I'm sorry," Robin repeated the sentiment that Commissioner Gordon offered Azrael earlier. "I know what's like to lose someone close to you that works outside of our line of duty...but you did him proud. The case is almost over."

"No, it's not," Azrael growled, his face contorting into a snarl. "Tammany's killer is still at large, as are his accomplices."

"Gordon is competent enough to keep Crux's imposter from getting into office, and I doubt Daggett will give us any more trouble now that we've found Crux's body hidden in one his facilities...especially a facility where he hired his goons to watch over to make sure no one found what he was hiding," Robin replied before pulling out the device he used to find Crux's fingerprints. "We already have proof that the Crux that's been running for mayor isn't the real deal, and that's fraud and identity theft right there. Even if he's not the murderer, we've got him dead to rights."

There was a long silence between the two of them before Azrael pulled out yet another photo for Robin to see. Rather than it being a picture of Crux or Daggett, instead it was a photo of two young men and one young woman, with the black-haired woman with pale skin and a sparkling leotard embracing the dark-haired man in a brown leather coat and black vest, while the redheaded youth dressed in red and gold gave a thumbs-up to the camera. "...I found this picture in the freezer while you were fetching Gordon," Azrael said with his voice as cold as the freezer they found Crux in. "You recognize them, yes?"

"That's Donna, Roy, and...Jason," Robin whispered as he realized what was going through Azrael's head. A moment later, Azrael's gauntlet ignited and set the photograph aflame, the rage in the blonde vigilante's eyes burning as brightly as the fire that consumed the picture. Watching Azrael angrily start to walk off, Robin quickly trailed him. "Azrael...Jean-Paul, listen to me," Robin protested as his comrade stood over the ledge of the rooftop and watched the lights of the city stream below. "Jason is a lot of things, but he wouldn't go off killing innocent people. He's better than-"

"You saw him at the press conference at Wayne Enterprises," Azrael snapped with the photograph still burning his hand. "He willfully endangered the lives of everyone in that room just to get a rise out of the man that's supposed to be his father! Then he had the nerve to open fire in an occupied building and use a gunship to make his mark on the rooftops!" Tossing the burning photograph aside, Azrael watched it sail down to the streets below until it faded from sight completely, having burned completely into ash. "He is as much of a monster as Daggett, and I wouldn't be surprised if he was the one who murdered Crux."

"There is no way Jason would work for Daggett, Jean-Paul," Robin replied, not yet appreciating the irony that he was defending the young man who preceded him as Robin and had been one of his sworn enemies since his return.

"Maybe...but I wouldn't be surprised if he was the surgeon and Daggett and Crux's imposter were just taking credit," Azrael said lowly. "You saw how the bodies were left, very carefully mutilated with surgical precision without causing any further damage to the rest of the body. There are very few people in Gotham with that sort of expertise...and Batman has trained us to recognize where each organ in the human body can be accessed without causing damage to the other organs."

"If you do this, Jean-Paul, Batman is not going to be-"

"Batman is gone, Robin," Azrael snapped, quickly turning his head to face Robin and revealing the tears forming in his anger-filled eyes. "Batman is like a father to all of us, but this campaign has forced him to put the cape and cowl aside. He's kept us in the dark throughout this entire case...and I don't think it's unreasonable to think that the reason he did so is because he still cares for that Judas of a protégé who perverts his mission every time he makes himself public as the Red Hood."

"I...Batman wouldn't do that," Robin protested, even as Azrael's words started to make a very uncomfortable sense. No matter how much Batman still cared for Jason Todd and lamented that he wasn't able to help him, it was a fact that the methods used to resurrect the former Robin had left an indelible mark on his sanity. Every time the Red Hood came into their lives, his plans would become more violent and brazen, and the heroic adventurer that Batman once knew became farther and farther away.

Jason had been away from Gotham to enjoy the comfort of friends from his time with the Titans and try and reclaim the life he once had, but what if Azrael was right? What if this time, Jason completely snapped and the Red Hood persona consumed him, leading him to murder Tammany Crux and possibly all of the other victims? What if he had discovered something about the victims that made him so angry that he couldn't help himself, and use the training Batman gave him to mutilate his victims?

"I will find him, Tim...but I won't kill him," Azrael growled before lifting his hand and unleashing his grappling hook. "When I find him, I will make him wish that I was only out to kill him. I will drag his broken body to each of the locations he dumped his victims in, and then I will take him to the cave where I will force a confession out of him. He's enjoyed Batman's mercies for far too long...now is the time we bring him to justice." Once the grappling hook wrapped around his target, Azrael turned to face Robin once more as he pulled his hood and mask back down over his face. "You can either help me, or stay out my way."

"Azrael," Robin called out to his angered comrade, recognizing the aura of murderous intent that Jean-Paul had worked so hard to eradicate from his mind. With Azrael taking off and soaring through the air, Robin quickly fired his own grappling hook and gave chase. "Azrael, wait up!"


	9. Chapter 9

In one day, Bruce Wayne would be elected mayor of Gotham City.

With Tammany Crux's sudden disappearance in the wake of the police issuing an arrest warrant for him, Bruce's victory in the campaign was now all but assured. Even though a replacement candidate was quickly found in Hamilton Hill, there was little doubt in the hearts of Gothamites who was going to be running their city once the lame duck period was over. Hamilton Hill did such a disastrous job as mayor during his first run that Tammany Crux would have actually been a vast improvement, even with the revelation that he was the serial killer that had been harvesting organs and faces from his victims.

Although Bruce was reluctant, his campaign managers convinced him to throw one more of his trademark parties at Wayne Manor for all of those who believed in him. At the last party Bruce hosted, an eclectic mix of clientele was in attendance, ranging from humanitarians to gangsters (or at least, alleged gangsters: if the police had enough proof, they wouldn't have been rubbing shoulders with the Wayne family). However, this party had noticeably fewer people attending, as Alfred had insisted that he personally invite the people who would be attending.

That, and Bruce's strong stance against organized crime had caused men like Rupert Thorne to back away from Wayne Manor unless they wanted to be singled out by the man who would very soon become mayor.

With his victory all but assured, Bruce Wayne should have welcomed the opportunity for a celebration. Even though Tammany Crux did not have his fame and fortune, he was a tough opponent for the bid for mayor. Crux possessed the silent charisma that only a well-established doctor could have, much like how Bruce's father Thomas would earn the trust of everyone around him when he was still alive. If Bruce hadn't stepped in and thrown his hat into the election, it was almost certain that Crux would have stepped into office. The discovery of his deception was the decisive edge that Bruce needed to defeat him when the polls opened tomorrow.

Instead, Bruce had yet to step foot into his main hall and interact with the people that came to celebrate his inevitable victory. All of Gotham had taken note of his sudden transformation from philandering billionaire to responsible mayoral candidate, and there were those that were sure that this party would force Bruce to revert back to his former self. Instead, all he could do at his victory party was stand outside on the balcony with his dress jacket slung over his shoulder, soaking in the cold autumn night air and looking out into the stars.

"Bruce," a soothing female voice called out to him, and usually that was a sign for him to turn on his billionaire charm and claim the heart of yet another woman. This time, Bruce continued staring out into the night, although he knew the voice well enough to respond to her.

"Hello, Selina," Bruce said quietly as a pair of slender arms slowly wrapped around him until her left hand was around his chest, feeling his heart beat as steady as the tide. Feeling a tad uncomfortable as the woman's breasts began to press against his back, Bruce shrugged off Selina's embrace without breaking his gaze into the starry sky. "I'm not in the mood right now, Selina. Please go back inside and enjoy yourself."

"I am enjoying myself, Bruce," Selina replied as she walked next to Bruce and put her arm around his shoulder once more. Finally, Bruce relented and turn his head to see the woman that had confounded and charmed him for so many years. Always with an eye for fashion, Selina was looking nothing short of ravishing that evening. The sparkling black dress she wore hugged her body as if she were poured into it, showing off her curves that had stolen the hearts of so many men over the years. Seeing that she had finally gotten Bruce to look at her, Selina put her gloved hand on Bruce's cheek and smiled. "You should be celebrating, lover: this is a big win."

"No it isn't," Bruce said curtly before turning back into the night sky. "I still had a lot of questions I wanted to ask Crux, and now he's gone into hiding. There's no telling when he'll resurface, if he's still in Gotham. I put a lot of work into my campaign for him to make a mistake, and now I might have lost him forever."

"Well, you'll have to get in line whenever he comes back," Selina said with a smirk on her red lips as she brushed back her lush black hair and inched closer to Bruce, regardless of what sort of mood he was in. "Hush and I still have unfinished business, and I can't let you have all of the fun in pounding his face into the pavement. By the time I get through with him, he'll need to wear those bandages around his face for a lot more than just a disguise."

"...Nygma has been speaking to you, hasn't he?" Bruce tightened his grip around the railing as Selina put her hand over his.

"I wouldn't have agreed to help him if he didn't tell me about your suspicions about Crux being another one of Hush's disguises," Selina answered before looking out into the night sky, following Bruce's gaze to the half-moon above them. "I don't know what kind of macho trip you're going on, keeping your birds in the dark about your suspicions when they could have stopped Hush a lot sooner if you gave them your intel. I don't know what's the big deal about him that you give Eddie more freedom to pursue the case than you give them."

"Nygma has access to information that I'm not privy to, and my campaign has left very little time for the Batman to prowl the streets and beat the information out of whatever thug I come across," Bruce replied sternly before turning to face Selina with a scowl on his face. "This is the longest I've gone without putting on the costume since the incident with Bane, and there are a lot of people in my circle who think that it's time for me to retire."

"What?" Selina's eyes widened as she took a step back, surprised at the nonsense Bruce was spewing. "You can't be serious, Bruce! Gotham City needs Batman the same way people need air and water. If you disappeared, every criminal in Gotham would come out and-"

"They haven't, Selina, and they won't," Bruce interjected. "Azrael and Robin have done a fine job collecting the evidence needed to put an end to Crux's campaign and expose Daggett. They've matured as detectives and crimefighters to a point where they no longer need my direct guidance...and tomorrow, Nightwing will return with Batgirl and Spoiler, stronger and sharper than ever before. Gotham City is safe in their hands, and with your help-"

"I'm not going to be their babysitter, Bruce," Selina snapped at the man that she cared about more than any other, even with the countless times they had fought as Batman and Catwoman. "It's true, those kids you trained have all grown up, but don't think for one moment that they've gotten to a point where you can sit back and rest on your laurels. Next you're going to tell me that you're going to hire Eddie to be a permanent member of your little family while you sip on a martini at City Hall."

"I...don't jump to conclusions like that," Bruce's eyes drifted away from Selina's piercing gaze before turning back to the sky.

"...I'm sorry," Selina apologized quietly before putting her hand back on Bruce's hand on the railing, "that was insensitive...but you were talking like you were seriously thinking about retiring when you still have so much to offer the city. It's not like what happened with Bane where you needed someone to step in for you, or when you're off on one of your trips with the Justice League and you need someone to watch Gotham in your absence. You're healthy, you're strong, you still believe in the mission...why would you want to throw it away?"

Bruce and Selina fell silent as the question was let into the open. Throughout his career as Batman, Bruce had sacrificed so many things that would have made him happy for the sake of continuing the never-ending mission of ending crime in Gotham City. It was a fool's dream, and deep down Bruce knew that, but yet the Batman continued to prowl the streets of Gotham, solving crimes that the police could not and stopping villain after villain that thought they could match wits with him. Although he had accumulated several allies over the years, and in recent years, former costumed enemies like Catwoman and the Riddler lent their services to him, but for the most part Batman's mission was his and his alone.

Finally, Bruce moved his lips and gave his answer. "I'm sure you've been watching my press conferences."

"The billionaire playboy finally grows a set and starts being the leader that everyone wanted him to be for years but he was too busy throwing parties and being a corporate bigwig? Yes, Bruce, I've watched your press conferences," Selina folded her arms and raised an eyebrow at Bruce's solemn demeanor. "You know, Bruce, if you had acted like you've been acting for the press lately with this campaign, I would have returned your calls long before you told me your little secret."

"This was supposed to be just another charade, Selina," Bruce whispered as he clenched his fist, causing Selina to remove her hand from his and back off a bit. "When I started this campaign, it was only to deter Tammany Crux from running unopposed into City Hall. I just wanted to figure out what he was up to until I collected enough evidence to prove that he was the killer surgeon, and from there I hoped to reveal that he was Hush and we could finally settle old accounts...but that was reckless. I should have known it was reckless from the moment the thought crossed my mind that I should run for mayor. I hoped that my reputation as a philandering fool would keep me out of office, but at the same time cause Crux to slip up."

"But it didn't turn out that way," Selina added as she noticed Bruce start to tremble with frustration. Slowly placing her arm around his broad shoulders, Selina rested her head next to his and whispered to him like she had so many times before when she tried to seduce him as Batman. "Instead you made every one of us proud by finally getting rid of that playboy nonsense and showing the city what kind of person you really are. That campaign could have wound up being a disaster, but instead people are finally beginning to respect you, Bruce. You can't imagine how long we've waited for you to show your true colors like this, and let the side of you I fell for become the side of you that you showed the press."

"I wasn't prepared for all of this," Bruce retorted. "I had no intention of becoming mayor, but barring the miraculous, it's pretty much an inevitability that I'll be voted into office...and if I refuse, it'll arouse an unnecessary amount of suspicion, and it wouldn't take too much effort for someone like Vicki Vale or Jack Ryder to do the digging necessary to determine that my entire campaign was a ruse. A mayor should have his plans for office laid out long before his campaign...but here I am, on the cusp of leading the city, without the slightest idea of what to do next."

"Then just roll with it," Selina purred with the same seductive tone she used on Bruce many times in the past. "Eddie was talking to me a couple of weeks ago about how exciting this city will be with Batman running things from City Hall, how much safer it'll be for the people of Gotham with the most competent man in the world making all of the right decisions that the last few imbeciles we've had in office couldn't make. Mayor of the city by day, protector of the city by night: in a year or so, Gotham City will make Metropolis look like a city of sin."

"...that's just the thing, Selina," Bruce grumbled as he reluctantly pressed his own head against Selina. "If I want to be the mayor that this city needs...if I want to finally fulfill the vow I made in Crime Alley all those years ago...then I might have to make sacrifices that I never imagined I would have to make."

"Such as?"

"...such as stepping aside as Batman."

Lifting her head to see if she could once again talk Bruce out of doing something they would all regret, Selina's eyes widened in horror at what she saw. There was a glowing red dot just above Bruce's left eyebrow, and she had spent more than enough time dodging bullets to know what the red dot belonged to. "Bruce," she whispered nervously, pulling on his arm tightly. "Get down right now. There's a sniper's light aimed right at your head."

"I know," Bruce replied almost robotically. "I'm concentrating to see where it's coming from."

"Who cares, Bruce!?" Selina grabbed onto Bruce's head and tried to push him down, but he didn't budge. Using her martial arts training to force Bruce down, Selina placed Bruce in a tight hammerlock hold until his left wrist was pressing against his right hip. "Get down now: I'm not going to sit back and let you die because you're in one of your sulking moods!"

Just as Bruce finally started to relent and fall down onto a knee, the light on his head vanished...and in the distance, the familiar red fire of a signal flare burned for both Bruce and Selina to see. Throughout the vast Wayne Estate, there were any number of places where an assassin, should they be skilled enough to get through the security, could position themselves to take a shot at whoever was standing on the balcony. Of course, the high-tech security utilized by Batman often prevented anyone daring enough to succeed in such a task, but there did exist those who had the skillset and knowledge of Batman's codes and machinations needed to pull it off.

And Bruce knew exactly who that person happened to be.

"...it's Jason, Selina," Bruce told his on-and-off love interest solemnly, turning away from the balcony and walking back inside. "He wants me to talk to him."

"Most people would just send a text," Selina said dryly. Walking back inside where the limited number of guests spotted Bruce and applauded him, the cat burglar whispered in Bruce's ear while putting on a fake smile. "People are going to be asking where you're running off to. Any excuses you want me to fire off for them?"

"I need to take a walk," Bruce answered, though Selina couldn't really tell if that was directed to her or just anyone in particular. Pulling himself free from Selina's grasp, Bruce forced himself to put on a thin smile and waved goodbye. "Enjoy Alfred's cooking, everyone. I'm just going to go outside and enjoy a fine walk around the garden. All of this stress has been making me see red..."

* * *

Although Bruce did not have any children of his own, he had enough experience dealing with teenage angst for him to qualify as a patient and caring father.

Dick Grayson, for the most part, had a fairly tame teenage years: his adventures as Robin forced him to mature quickly and while there were times when he would challenge Batman on certain decisions that seemed unnecessarily rash or vague, his transition from childhood to adulthood was smooth. When he left for college, he became the adult that any father would be proud of calling his son, and he became his own costumed crimefighter in Nightwing once he decided he outgrew the Robin persona. In fact, most of the spats Bruce and Dick had came not during Dick's teenage years, but during his adult years. Although he respected Dick's decision to follow his own path, it didn't make the fact that his first ward outgrew him any easier.

Tim Drake, Bruce's latest ward, was even more level-headed than Bruce, displaying the maturity and resolve needed to succeed as Robin while at the same time displaying youthful innocence that was expected of him. Tim came to Bruce just on the cusp of his teenage years, and was an immediate asset to Batman's mission. He might not have had the physical gifts that a former acrobat like Dick possessed, but his intelligence and creativity made him an easy choice for the mantle of Robin. There had been several times where Dick told Bruce that Tim was a better Robin than he ever was, and Bruce still hadn't prepared himself for the inevitability that very soon, there would be nothing left for him to teach Tim and he would need to branch out on his own.

Jason Todd, on the other hand, had about as smooth of a teenage transition as a roll of sandpaper. Unlike Dick or Tim, Jason was raised on the rough streets of Gotham City, and he never could shake off the chains that bound him to that lifestyle. Whereas Dick would follow and Bruce would lead, Jason took charge in almost every mission they undertook as Batman and Robin. No matter how much danger was involved or how obvious the trap was laid out, Jason would rush forward head-on making a beeline to the target. To Jason, the mission of ending crime in Gotham City was a game, just like life in general. There was a clean winner and a clear loser, and Jason was willing to do everything he could to make sure that he and his allies were the ones that won.

During the many, many arguments Jason would have with his surrogate father, he would run off into a particular section of the Wayne Estate that he claimed as his own: an alternate entrance to the Batcave where he would train and vent until he was ready to apologize. As he grew older, the arguments grew more heated and violent, and Jason would often invite Bruce to his little hideout where they could spar on what he called "his home turf." Technically, everything in the Estate belonged to Bruce, but he allowed Jason the allowance of his hideaway hoping that eventually, he would outgrow it just like Dick outgrew him.

_If only I knew that his arguments and defiance would lead to betrayal and violence, _Bruce thought bitterly as he walked into the cavern that lay within the garden and listened carefully as the labored breaths that came from within the dimly-lit tunnel. _My problem was that I thought Jason was addicted to the thrill of adventure and mystery...but the truth is more like Jason enjoying being Robin because he was addicted to the allure of combat. I saw him as a replacement for Dick, instead of addressing the issues that came from being raised in Gotham's slums. There isn't a day that goes by where I don't think about how much we've both paid for my hubris._

"Come in, Bruce."

Though his voice was calmer than what it had been in his last few appearances, the sinister madness was still thick as Jason's voice echoed throughout the walls of the cavern. As he stepped forward, Bruce carefully shifted his eyes from left to right to see if Jason had laid any unwelcome surprises for him. He didn't really think that Jason would booby-trap his former sanctuary, but there was something about Jason's previous appearances that worried him. He had hoped his time away from Gotham and in the care of Troia and Arsenal would have helped rehabilitate him, but instead he was even more bloodthirsty than before.

"...Donna is worried about you, Jason," Bruce said after a pause as he continued walking through the darkened cavern where Jason awaited him. "She gave Oracle a call a couple of days ago asking if she could help her find you. You should go back to her, before you do something everyone will regret later."

"...Donna...ohhhh Donna," the voice of Jason hummed in a haphazard song as Bruce approached him. Though his face was hidden in the shadows of the cavern, Bruce could see that he was not wearing his helmet, as it was instead lying in front of him at his feet. Finally, Bruce realized that he was not talking to Red Hood, one of Batman's most dangerous enemies. He was talking to Jason Todd, the son that he failed to save and now lived as a symbol of Bruce's failures as a parent. "You know I really like her, right Bruce? When we were with the Titans, she just saw me as Dick's kid replacement...but now that we're all grown up, I can finally face her as a man who's so madly in love with her that I'd take a nosedive into the deepest circle of Hell if it meant impressing her."

"That's not necessary, Jason," Bruce replied quietly, not wanting to set off the powder keg of Jason Todd's inherent rage and be forced to hurt him. "Donna cares for you, as well...otherwise she wouldn't have invited you and Roy to her 'Titan Outlaws' team."

Carefully stepping past Red Hood's helmet, Bruce finally got his first glance at Jason since the incident at Wayne Enterprises. The kevlar vest with the spray-painted red skull was sitting on the floor at his feet, while his brown leather coat was tossed against a nearby rock. This left Jason's chiseled-but-heavily scarred body to glisten in the dim lights of the cavern...and several of the scars were still fresh. Wherever Jason disappeared to after his attack on Bruce's office, he had been very busy indulging himself with his violent lifestyle.

"It wasn't easy accepting that, y'know?" Jason said quietly as Bruce stood over him, his face still veiled in shadow. "When Roy did the detective work to track me down, I was getting ready to wipe the West End clean. I had enough followers and enough firepower to completely wipe out Black Mask's operations until there would be nothing left of him but a red smear that I'd paint my name with. I'm sure it would have been a lot of fun if I went through with that...for all of us."

"I would have stopped you," Bruce added.

"Hence why I went with Roy instead," Jason continued. "When Roy took me to Donna, she promised me that it would just be the three of us, free from any kind of Titans or Justice League politics. To be honest, Bruce...it was like I had just been sent to heaven. There I was, fighting the bad guys side-by-side with the only guy from the Titans that really understood where I was coming from, and the girl I crushed on from when I was still in green tights, all grown up along with me. We did such a great job that it was honestly more like a vacation...and all the while, all I could think about was how perfect my life was."

A low chuckle bubbled from Jason's throat as he continued, "Heh heh...when we were doing a mission down in the Keys, Roy was telling me how much he missed his little girl, and how much he wanted to get back with Cheshire and be one big happy family. Then Donna came along and asked me if I wanted to play some volleyball with her. We were having the time of our lives, taking down any moron dumb enough to take us on, and then spending our off time opening up to each other, saying how awesome it'll be once you and Green Arrow and Wonder Woman get put to pastor so we could take your spots...naive, right?"

"That spot is yours to lose, Jason," Bruce replied sternly before stepping forward to see Jason's face, "but first you have to let us help-"

"GET BACK!"

With Jason suddenly exploding in rage, the young man quickly lifted his hand to reveal a glock, quickly loading it and pointing it directly at Bruce's head. "You take one more step, Bruce...and I swear to God I will plaster your brains all of this cave," Jason's voice trembled with madness as his lifted his head and revealed to Bruce the heavy burden on his young face: a mask of red across his eyes, painted in the copper scent of blood. "I'm sick, Bruce...and if you're not careful, you'll catch what I got!"

For once, even the stoic Bruce couldn't help but look surprised at the madness in Jason's eyes. He was doing everything in his power to keep himself from ripping apart the man that took him in and trained him to a crimefighter, giving his life the purpose he craved. "...as I was saying," Jason grumbled before lowering his gun. "I really enjoying working with Donna and Roy, and I was be with them for the long run. I was finally mustering up the courage to ask Donna out, too...and you know what's really sad? I think she would have said yes, and maybe the girl I crushed on could become the girl I loved...and loved me back."

"What happened?"

"I lost control, just like always," Jason answered with a hint of sorrow in his voice. "We were in Philadelphia, Roy and I were investigating a drug ring while Donna was off playing decoy. There was this kid, tied up to a chair...and the people who tied him up gave him a shot of their little drug. Untied him, watching the kid squrim, and got a good laugh out it...and my blood just started boiling. And when my blood stars boiling, Bruce..."

A sadistic grin formed on Jason's face. "...other people's blood starts to spray. I jumped right in there, carved them up like turkeys. By the time it was over, I was covered in so much red that it looked like I took a dive into a vat of food coloring. I heard Roy screaming at me when Donna came floating down like the angel she was...and then she started crying. The very same day I was going to ask her out, I made my girl cry and my best friend curse at me. After that, I decided to go back to Gotham and get back to what I was doing...until I saw you, Bruce."

Finally standing up from his rock, the young man cracked his neck and stepped into the light, revealing the white streak in his dark hair he received from the Lazarus Pit and revealed how he traded his sanity for a second lease on life. Placing the handgun in his pocket, Jason instead pulled out his dagger and twirled it through the air as if it were a toy. "I gotta admit, Bruce, when you first announced that you wanted to be mayor, I thought it was just another ego trip. The billionaire playboy wants to play with the big boys and make his parents proud...as if dressing like a bat and beating the tar out of bad guys wasn't convincing enough."

"That's not what this is about, Jason," Bruce protested as his body tensed up, prepared to take down Jason in the quite likely case he lashed out at him again. "Regardless of what sort of statements I might make in this campaign, never forget that the mission comes first. The missions ALWAYS comes first."

"Of course...that's why I got you some gifts to help welcome you into office now that you're opponent has...I don't know, lost face?" Jason's grin widened to Cheshire levels as he reached down and picked up a woven bag and tossed it to Bruce. As Bruce caught it, the smell of blood immediately entered his nostrils, and the hand he cradled the bag in because wet with crimson liquid. Watching his mentor open the bag and wince, Jason chuckled once more. "Heheheh...there was going to be an assassination attempt on you, and the gangs brought in quite a few guys to put a bullet in your head. So I decided to step in and save your life...by cutting off the index fingers of all eleven of the men involved in the conspiracy. Now they'll never be able to fire a gun, all because they couldn't face the music that a new order is coming."

"That wasn't necessary, Jason," Bruce's eyes narrowed as he tied the bag closed and tossed it aside. "I could have taken care of it myself."

"That's what I figured...but the fact that you didn't made me think that maybe this campaign of yours is only part of the game," Jason reached into his pocket and pulled out another wool bag, this time with the sound of metal clinking coming from it as it jiggled in his hand. "It took me a while to put the pieces together, but once I did, I figured that the real reason you were doing this campaign was because you were just doing another Batman case. In the end, even the highest position in City Hall is nothing more than another piece for Gotham's biggest big-game player."

"This isn't a game," Bruce growled as he caught the bag that Jason tossed his way. Untying the bag, Bruce looked inside and saw something noticably cleaner than the severed fingers Jason gave to him a moment before. Cleaner, but no less shocking. "...where did you find these?" Bruce whispered in disbelief.

"At the scene of where each of the killer surgeon's bodies were dumped," Jason answered with his dark smile widening further. "You're getting dodgy in your old age, Bruce. When I was Robin, you taught me to always look beyond the obvious and scan every crime scene as if every square inch contained a vital clue. After I did some snooping around, I found those things within ten feet of where the body was placed...and last week, I traced those things back to Daggett Food Innovations, where I-"

"Where you killed my friend, Judas..."

Jason's grin instantly morphed into a contorted snarl as he looked past Bruce and saw his blonde-haired rival stand at the entrance of the cavern, out of costume with a black button-up shirt and red tie but carrying the flaming broadsword he attacked Jason with in their last encounter. "...this is a private party between father and son, jackass," Jason growled as he pulled his gun from his pants and pointed it at Jean-Paul. "Piss off or die!"

"If anyone is going to die here, Judas...it's you," Jean-Paul growled as he took another step forward, even as Jason's blood-smeared eyes widened in maddened rage. As Bruce turned around to face Jean-Paul, the young man's glasses reflected the lights of the cavern and masked the fire of rage in his eyes. "Mr. Wayne...step aside and let me bring this fiend to justice. He has taken advantage of the mercies you have given him and committed acts of murder and mutilation."

"...Jason is right, Jean-Paul," Bruce said lowly as he reached into the bag Jason gave him and carefully inspected one of the pieces inside of it: a pewter soldier like what would be used in the strategy-based games he would play as a child. "This is between me and him, and he was in the process of giving me a vital clue into proving the identity of the fake Tammany Crux that killed all of those people. I would appreciate it if-"

"I have reason to believe that HE is the killer, sir," Jean-Paul protested. "When Tim and I found Crux's body, there was a photograph left behind the scene: a picture of Jason and his vixen lying just next to the corpse. That means he was there before-"

"D-did you just call Donna a vixen?" Jason sputtered before brandishing his knife and charging past Bruce. "TAKE THAT BACK!"

Like two wild wolves fighting over territory, the two men that embodied Batman's greatest failures bared their fangs and lashed out at one another. With Jean-Paul swinging his sword wildly, Jason ducked under the swipe and delivered a crushing punch to the blonde man's armpit, forcing him to drop the sword and clutch where he had been hit. Lifting his knife for a fatal stab, Jason prepared to run through the heathen that dared call his precious Donna a vixen, but Jean-Paul put an end to that by tackling Jason to the ground with such force that the knife flew out of his hands.

_This is ridiculous, _Bruce watched the two men roll across the ground dropping punishing blows on each other whenever one of them was in a dominant position. Putting the bag in his pocket, Bruce walked over to the scene of the fight and prepared to break it up. _Tim warned me about how these two were out for each other's blood, but I would have thought that they were smart enough hold it off until the case was solved. Honestly..._

"Break it up, you two," Bruce said sternly as he peeled Jason off of Jean-Paul just as the youth shattered Jean-Paul's glasses. With Jason still kicking wildly as Bruce held him back, Jean-Paul quickly stood back up and promptly delivered a body shot to Jason's ribs. With his eyes widening in anger, Bruce quickly threw Jason aside and put himself between him and Jean-Paul. "Stop it now! You're acting like children!"

"He must pay," Jean-Paul roared as he shoved Bruce aside and made a beeline for Jason just as he staggered back to his feet. "He must pay for the sins and atrocities he's committed!"

With Jason delivering a rising knee lift right to his chin, Jean-Paul stumbled backwards gripping his mouth before Jason crouched down and mounted him with a double leg takedown. It was at this point that Bruce completely shut out the two younger men's accusations and curses and noticed a very faint noise coming from the cavern. He didn't really pay much attention to it when he first entered, but Jason's words to him about always paying attention to his surroundings made him realize that the noise was a song that had been playing on repeat since he entered.

After taking a moment to identify the song, Bruce walked over to the two fighters that were just beginning to rise back to their feet...and then placed himself between them. When the two of them lunged for each other once again, Bruce quickly ducked his head and delivered a piston-like elbow to each of their solar plexuses, just as they punched each other squarely in the jaw with right crosses. With the wind knocked out of them and their fists lodged in each other's cheek, the light of rage in their eyes faded as they fell to their knees and clutched their torsos.

"W...why, Bruce?" Jason wheezed. "You...you know I'm right."

"Why do you...protect him?" Jean-Paul grunted. "He's hurt you so much...he's done so many horrible things."

"Carry on, my wayward son..."

Instead of responding immediately to his two protégés, Bruce instead quietly sang in that rich, deep voice of his that had charmed so many people over the years. "There'll be peace when you are done," he sang a little bit louder as they stood back to their feet, giving their mentor a quizzical look while a thin smile formed on Bruce's face. "Lay your weary head to rest...don't you cry no more."

"That song," Jason whispered as he straightened himself, still clutching where Bruce had struck him. "You remembered it...I thought you didn't like that song."

"It was your favorite song while training," Bruce added as he put his hand on Jason's shoulder. "There are times when you might not be my favorite student, Jason...but you are still my son, and every father cares for his son."

"Mister...Wayne," Jean-Paul protested weakly, still dizzy from the effects of Jason's punch and Bruce's elbow. "You are a...brilliant man, Mr. Wayne. So why do you protect him after all of the things he's done?"

"...because if he was the killer, he would have let me know it was him," Bruce answered before pulling out the bag from his pocket and opening it to reveal one of the pewter soldiers. "This is a piece from a game I would play a child with my best friend, Tommy Elliott. The only people who know about that are myself, Alfred, and Tommy...and Tommy now works as the master criminal Hush. The reason I started my campaign was because I suspected Tammany Crux might have been Hush in disguise...and now that Jason has collected this figures from the scenes of the crime, I'm now certain that he is the man behind the killings."

"Ol' Bandage-head is the killer surgeon?" Jason asked incredulously before turning around and limping to his shirt. Putting it over his head and pulling it down, Jason went for his coat and put his arms through the sleeves. "That guy is bad news, Bruce. You watch yourself around him, you hear?"

"Wait...wait just a moment," Jean-Paul watched Jason walk past them and to the exit of the cavern. "Y-you can't just let him go, Mr. Wayne. Even if he's not the killer, he fired weapons in your office...twice! There's no telling what he'll do if you let him run free now that you've caught him!"

"This is why I warned you not to attack him openly like you did, Jean-Paul," Bruce said quietly as he watched Jason wave goodbye before jumping into the air, disappearing from sight completely. "If you treat Jason like a villain, he'll act accordingly. The trick to stopping the Red Hood is to remember that despite all of the misfortune and rebellion...he's still a member of our family, and we have to treat like him a member of our family if we want him to act like it."

As Bruce and Jean-Paul stepped out of the cavern and back out into the garden, a sparkle of light caught Bruce's eye next to a bench. Walking over to the bench, Bruce identified the sparkle as another pewter soldier...this time, the general piece that needed to be captured for someone to win the game. _You must really enjoy watching the people I care about tear each other apart, don't you Tommy, _Bruce thought as his body tensed up in anger as he looked at the base of the bench to see a small bouquet of flowers: the same assortment used for the Wayne's funeral. _Don't worry, Tommy...I won't keep you waiting much longer. I will find you, and then we'll finish the game._

"Is something wrong, Mr. Wayne?"

"...no, Jean-Paul," Bruce lied before putting the general piece in his bag and walking back towards the mansion. "Get yourself cleaned up. We have a big day tomorrow."


	10. Chapter 10

It was going to happen.

Within the confines of the Batcave, Bruce continued to stare at the game board he set up with the pewter pieces given to him by his former protege Jason, providing him the final clue he needed to confirm his suspicions as the true identity of the Tammany Crux imposter that had run opposite of him in the mayoral election. With the imposter's disappearance just a few days before the mayoral election, Bruce couldn't help but shake the feeling that something terrible was going to happen to Gotham City if he did not do something soon.

The police had already scavenged Daggett South Hospital where many of the victims were last seen alive, but their search for Crux had come up empty. Azrael and Robin were having similar shortcomings in their investigations, and while the fact that the forces of good had put a stop to the evils of Daggett South Hospital gave the people of Gotham a chance to breathe a sigh of relief, Bruce was as tense as ever. _Why did he do all of this?, _Bruce wondered as he continued to stare at the game board. _Why did he go through all of this trouble with running for mayor while simultaneously continuing his 'killer surgeon' motif? Why did he leave clues for me to let me know it was him?_

As Bruce looked at the board pensively, he once again remembered the time during his childhood where he and Tommy Elliot were best friends: two boys from two wealthy families that wanted to one day break free of their parents' shadows and make their own name in the world. Though it was hard to believe now, Bruce had once been a kind child that idolized his parents and saw them as his heroes, whereas Tommy was mischievous and spoke to his elders in a very informal manner. The two of them would horseplay and play rough as boys their age would do, but for the most part there was no unpleasantness between them.

Tommy was more than just a best friend to Bruce: he was also a bit of a peer tutor to him, as well. Tommy was seemingly born brilliant, always giving Bruce the kind of philosophical advice on life that was uncommon in a child his age. Every time Bruce and Tommy were alone and left to their own devices, Tommy would demonstrate a level of creativity seen only in those dubbed a genius, and he was always eager to impart his knowledge on his best friend. Even as an adult, Bruce remembered the teachings that Tommy gave him about strategy and competitive mindsets, and utilized them to help build the Wayne family fortune into a global empire called Wayne Enterprises.

"Sparking grape juice, sir?"

With his train of thought broken, Bruce slowly turned his chair away from the game board and saw his faithful butler Alfred holding a glass bottle. Reading the label as he wasn't paying attention to what his butler was saying, Bruce slowly shook his head before turning back to the massive computer screen in front of him. "Not right now, Alfred," Bruce said quietly as he typed rapidly on the keyboard to pull up a television feed. "Put it on ice and I'll have it in a little bit."

"As you wish, sir," Alfred nodded his head as he looked to the game board with the pewter soldier pieces. "I see you still haven't been able to let go of what Master Tommy meant to you."

"No, Alfred," Bruce replied solemnly. "What I haven't been able to let go of is how he's given me the runaround for so many weeks and it wasn't until Jason intervened that I had the proof I needed to know he was the Tammany Crux imposter. I should have been able to take him down much sooner, and he's still at large waiting to strike again. He's up to something, Alfred...I just need to find out what it is, before it's too late."

Looking to the television screen, Alfred smiled as Bruce carefully observed the ongoing tally of the votes collected that evening as to who would be the next mayor of Gotham City. Jack Ryder, who had been one of Bruce Wayne's staunchest supporters throughout the campaign, was on the screen giving his report as only a hot-blooded reporter like him could, with plenty of body movement and vibrant expressions abound. Next to him, a graphic demonstrated the trend of votes going into the election, with Bruce Wayne's name underneath a bar that was considerably longer than the names next to his.

"You should be celebrating, sir," he said as he placed his hand on Bruce's shoulder. "This is the greatest honor you could possibly receive. I've been so proud of you the past few weeks, showing Gotham City what kind of man you really are. When this is all said and done, you will finally be able to take your place as the leader this city so richly deserves."

"It's not over yet, Alfred," Bruce replied quietly, his eyes narrowing as his bar continued growing like a vine out of control.

Temporarily distracting Bruce was the sound of motorcycle engines gradually becoming louder and louder within the echoing caverns of the Batcave, causing him to swivel his chair to the docking bay where Batman kept his extensive collection of vehicles used to aid his mission. With the echoes continuing to intensify, the source of the sound finally became visible as the familiar sight of Robinriding into the Batcave on his motorcycle came rushing in. With his cape slowly calming down as the wind stopped filling them, Robin parked the vehicle and stood up to approach the steps leading to the next level of the Batcave.

"Master Tim, welcome back," Alfred picked up the bottle of sparkling grape juice as the two young man pulled down his hood and unmasked. "Would either of you care for some sparkling grape juice? Master Bruce is about to win the election."

"I could use some," Tim said with a smile as he sat down in a chair next to Bruce. "I just thought I'd let you know that the police have completely shut down Daggett South Hospital. We're still shaking down Daggett's goons to get them to confess, but so far we haven't found anyone who knows more than the press does. Whatever agreement Daggett and Crux had was strictly between them...so we'll need to find the phony Crux if we want to confession we'll need to put Daggett away for good."

"Daggett is the least of my worries right now, Tim," Bruce curtly replied as he continued watching the tallies accumulate. "Where is Azrael?"

"Off brooding, doing his own investigation into finding who killed the real Crux," Tim answered with his dark sense of humor that had grown darker throughout years of witnessing horrors as Robin. "You should have told us about your suspicions, you know. It would have made things much easier for all of us if we were on the same page. Did you know Azrael and I were starting to think that Jason was the killer? You left us with so little work with that-"

"That you were forced to utilize your own detective skills and solve the case without my guidance," Bruce interrupted Tim before standing up from his seat and turning away from the computer. "I'm very proud of both of you, Tim. You and Jean-Paul proved yourselves as capable detectives with this case, and now the killer surgeon has been dealt a crippling blow to his operations. All that's left now is to draw him out to bring him to justice..."

"Yeah? You don't really sound proud," Tim added quietly before typing on the computer. A few seconds later, a second, smaller feed popped up on the massive screen to reveal the handsome visage of Tim's predecessor as Robin, now going by the name of Nightwing. "Hey, Dick. How far are you from Gotham?"

"I just pulled into the city limits now. I should be in the Batcave within the next fifteen minutes," Nightwing said with a smile as Tim noticed the sky rushing past him behind the windows of his cockpit. "Steph and Cass were both accepted as Titans, so we'll need to talk to Bruce about getting a schedule ready for when they can do Titans missions and when they'll stay put in Gotham. Starfire keeps talking about a rotation to get people on board that suit missions best, so it'll probably vary."

"Sorry I couldn't have been there," Tim said with a smile. "It's been crazy here since you left."

"So Alfred tells me," Nightwing replied with a smirk. "Ever since we heard that Jean-Paul is back from the dead, Cass has been practically jumping up and down waiting to get back to Gotham to see him again. Not only that, the boss is going to become mayor! We've been keeping tracks on this election and he's been hitting it out of the ballpark every single time he gets up on camera. It makes me wonder why we didn't think of it before!"

_"Right...right, it looks like the last of the votes are coming in. Bruce Wayne now has the majority needed to become the next Mayor of Gotham City. Congratulations, you crazy SOB...looks like you've got a new accomplishment on your resume."_

"It just got made official," Tim said before turning around to talk to his mentor and adopted father. "Hey, boss man. The news just said that-...Bruce?"

Tim wouldn't have to wander around looking for Bruce, as he emerged from the shadows that he disappeared in momentarily...though now having taken the shadow onto himself. For the first time in what seemed like forever, the Batman stood in front of Tim, dressed in the armored variant of the suit that Batman donned only when he knew for sure he was going to enter a fight. With only the dark purple gauntlets shining in an otherwise black, dark gray, and dark blue suit, Bruce pulled his cowl over his head and replaced his set of hair with a pair of pointed "ears" that jutted out of his cowl like horns.

"Where are you going?" Tim asked incredulously as he secretly marveled at the awe that the full battle regalia of Batman inspired.

"Out," Batman said curtly as he walked past Tim and descended down the stairs, where the sleek Batmobile opened its hatch awaiting its master's entrance.

Tim had been around Batman long enough to know that when he gave answers like that, he was planning on doing a lot more than just going out for a joyride. Batman had been conspicuously absent the past several weeks as Bruce Wayne became an increasingly common presence in his domain. It was unlike him to keep out of costume for so long, and there were rumblings going around that Batman had secretly retired and allowed his protégés and allies to take his place as Gotham City's protectors. With Bruce Wayne now the mayor of Gotham, it seemed to even those close to him that there was no room for the Batman with such an all-consuming role.

So for Batman to re-emerge just after winning the election that kept him from donning the cape and cowl...it gave Tim reason to believe that Batman was about to do considerably more than just go "out." "You're going after the killer, aren't you?" Tim said as he quickly put his mask back on and tried to chase after his leader as the Dark Knight stepped into the Batmobile's hatch. "You're not the only one who's been wanting a piece of him, Batman. Let us help you!"

"...stay here and wait for Nightwing to return with Spoiler and Batgirl," Batman growled as the hatch closed around him, preventing Tim from jumping in after him and following the Dark Knight and what could possibly be the conclusion to his final case. "When they return, tell them to wait for me to come back. Do not follow me...that's an order, Robin."

* * *

As Bruce Wayne, there were very few instances where he found himself in Crime Alley.

It was understandable for billionaire Bruce Wayne to stay away from the site where his parents were brutally gunned down in a failed robbery. Crime Alley represented everything that was wrong with Gotham City, earning its chilling nickname by becoming a hub for all kinds of robberies, murders, and drug dealers. The efforts of those such as Leslie Thompkins gave the law-abiding citizens unfortunate enough to live there an iota of hope, but it was a very fleeting hope in what had become one of the most dangerous slums in the country. Crime Alley, simply put, was the exact opposite of everything Bruce Wayne stood for.

As Batman, there were countless instances where the Dark Knight found himself in Crime Alley.

Crime Alley was the scene where a young boy made a vow where his parents lay dead around him, promising that he would one day eradicate the disease that gripped Gotham City and made him an orphan. From that vow, Batman emerged as a demon that preyed upon the fiends and monsters that lurked within the city, and many of those monsters had business in Crime Alley. Countless punches, kicks, and Batarangs had been thrown in this area, counting the guns and knives used by his enemies. As much as his alter-ego stayed away from this place, the Dark Knight frequented Crime Alley as it housed many key witnesses and sources that would lead him to more difficult adversaries.

On this evening, when the city was celebrating Bruce Wayne's election into office and a promise that maybe the fever of crime that kept Gotham on the brink for so many years would finally break, Batman pulled into Crime Alley and stepped out of the Batmobile. After confronting Jason and ending the Red Hood's interference in his campaign, the culprit that he had been searching for left one final clue for him to mull over: a bouquet of flowers used to signify morning. In fact, it was the exact same arrangement of flowers that Batman used yearly to mourn his parent's deaths and renew his vow to fight criminals wherever they may roam.

_No chances this time, _Bruce thought as he took a look around the dark alleyway. It was very difficult to see clearly here, with only a couple of street lights illuminating an otherwise cavern-like darkness. One of the contributing factors of why Crime Alley was such a favored area for sin was because its lack of light allowed for all sorts of clandestine events to take place. It would be easy for drug dealers to supply their goods, or for pimps to meet with their prostitutes...or for a predator to ambush an unsuspecting victim that wandered into the area. _I'll set Detective Mode to detect any traces of pewter. _

With a tap just below the cowl's left ear, Batman's eyes glowed an utraviolet blue as the small computer within his mask activated, allowing him the ability to see in the dark through a dark blue-violet hue. Ever since creating the "Detective Mode" that allowed him so many privileges like seeing in the dark and tracking down certain materials, Batman perhaps grew complacent with how much easier technology made his job as a detective. Jason was right about him: he had forgotten important steps to being a great detective, and he needed that reminder to solve this case.

Seeing a neon green speck next to a dumpster, Bruce walked over to the speck and picked it up, identifying it as another pewter piece. Worse still, the piece was laying on top of a severed glob of human flesh being picked apart by the rats, which Batman immediately identified as the face of Tammany Crux that his quarry removed from the victim and wore like a theater mask to steal his identity. "...I know you're here, Hush," Batman said out loud as he gripped the pewter soldier tightly in his fist and looked around for any kind of human activity. "I've been waiting for you to make a move like this ever since I spotted you at my party. Where do you get off, murdering an innocent man and then staining his reputation with murder and deception?"

Hearing the sound of footsteps behind him, Batman quickly pulled out a batarang from his utility belt and spun around, hurling his trademark throwing weapon with the rotational velocity of his spin. The batarang had felled many opponents over the years, with a variety of gimmicks and altercations that made the weapon so favored by the Dark Knight. If it were a simple thug, the batarang would strike Batman's adversary with such speed that he wouldn't have had time to react, stunning him long enough for Batman to close in for the finishing attack.

A lesser foe, but not the killer surgeon that confounded Batman and his allies for so many weeks.

Instead of hearing the sound of screams of pain, Batman heard nothing but the wooshing sound of his weapon suddenly cease. Spotting the man within the shadows, Batman watched his quarry hurl his batarang right back at him, with even more force and aggression than him. Lifting his hand, Batman caught the batarang and felt the force of it course through his arm, causing him to wince slightly before putting the weapon back in his utility belt. Though he had been training as hard as ever, the time away from the cape and cowl had softened him, however slightly. He would need to quickly re-discover his edge if wanted to defeat this most potent foe.

"There's no one watching us, Bruce," the man in the shadows hummed as Batman prepared for his attack. "There's no one here to share the secrets we share...no one here to listen in on our long history and friendship. There's no one here...to watch me take down the city's protector and clear the biggest obstacle in obtaining my vengeance on the Wayne Family."

The man's words struck an unpleasant chord with the Dark Knight, reminding him of all of the personal history and friendship the two of them shared before his friend became one of his greatest adversaries. Whatever friend this man was to Bruce Wayne, he was now one of his most dangerous enemies. "You're no friend of mine, Hush," Batman growled as the man stepped out of the shadows and finally revealed himself to him after so many weeks of deception and lies. "I'm going to make you pay for what you did to those people. You can either surrender yourself peacefully, or I'll take you down harder than you can imagine."

For the past several weeks, Hush had been taunting Bruce by being right under his nose as Tammany Crux, causing him to run opposite of him in the mayoral election hoping to get the evidence he needed to stop whatever machination Hush had planned. Keeping his tracks covered just enough so that he couldn't accumulate the evidence needed to prove his deception, Hush let the game play out and frustrated Bruce further and further, knowing full well that he could do nothing but let him play his game. Now that the game was almost over, Hush allowed Batman to confirm what he knew all along.

Standing in front of him was his killer surgeon, wearing a blood-stained lab coat underneath a black kevlar shirt with red trim and dark brown pants. Around his neck was the same jade pendant that Tommy would regularly brag about to Bruce when they were children, and covering his face were the trademark layers upon layers of bandages that only let his grinning mouth and murderous eyes showing. "So tell me, Bruce," Hush taunted Batman further by taking out his hand and motioning his fingers for his enemy to come at him. "When did you finally figure it out?"

Charging forward as only Batman could, the Dark Knight took off with a mighty leap and prepared to bring down a flying kick on his enemy. Hush casually sidestepped the brazen attack and watched Batman land with a roll and recover quickly to resume his fighting stance. "It wasn't until Jason showed me the soldiers until I knew for sure it was you. You gave me just enough hints to keep my suspicions, but you were careful not to get too obvious so you could continue your campaign. Too bad for you, I was already one step ahead of you."

Preparing to take off once more, this time for a rushing attack, Batman heard something whistle through the air, stopping him dead in his tracks as a sharp weapon flew through the air and embedded itself in the brick-laden ground just at his feet. With a tap of his cowl, Batman activated the second stage of his Detective Mode: the one that allowed him to see in the dark with a copper tint while allowing him to make out the visible features of his quarry. Sure enough, jumping down from the rooftops were several women clad in white lab coats, wearing a nurse's cap and surgical mask and putting themselves between Batman and Hush.

Just another ambush in Crime Alley.

With a disturbing chuckle, Hush snapped his gloved fingers and the women charged Batman en masse, forcing the Dark Knight to temporarily abandon his code against being overly violent against women and subdue the obstacles that kept him from ending the game. In less than a second, three of the women surrounded him and lashed out at him with simultaneous kicks of their slender legs, forcing him to duck under and let the three legs collide into each other. As he crouched, he simultaneously spun in place, causing his thick cape to spread out like an eagle's wing and collide with the three women, stunning them long enough for Batman to rise up and pick a target.

He decided to go after the woman that had what appeared to be a small buzzsaw in her hand, already whirring and ready to slice open a victim. Reaching out to the wrist of the hand holding the weapon, Batman quickly pushed the woman against the wall and collided her hand against the bricks, forcing her to drop the buzzsaw and be left vulnerable to Batman's next attack. Moving onto her head, Batman wrapped his fingers around her skull and pulled back before pushing forward and knocking her unconscious with the wall bouncing against the back of her head.

Sensing the next enemy approaching, Batman took flight and backflipped through the air, causing the next nurse's scalpel to hit the wall and slide up her hand. With the blade sliding across her palm and drawing blood, the woman grunted and gripped her bleeding hand as Batman landed and wrapped his arms around her head, placing her in a sleeper hold as she struggled to break free. As she flailed, her fellow nurses continued to swarm Batman, causing him to fling her around like a rag doll and use her legs as striking weapons.

Finally, the woman went limp, allowing Batman to move on to the next trio of nurses that attacked him simultaneously. _There's something about their fighting style that's...alarmingly familiar, _Batman grumbled as he ducked under the first woman's thrust kick and delivered an uppercut to her thigh, causing her to shout out in pain before Batman stood up and delivered a sharp elbow to her temple to knock her out while the other two women pounced on his back brandishing scalpels. _What is it that they're doing that's so familiar?_

Spinning around forcefully, Batman flung the two nurses away and watched them crash into a group of trash cans, but he wouldn't have very long to bask in victory as another pair of nurses charged him with rapid kicks. The speed and agility of the women was not something that could be trained just by living in Gotham City. Furthermore, the way they wielded their weapons indicated that they had been training for a very long time. Whoever these women were, Hush paid top dollar for them to be in his services. With the flurry of kicks raining down on Batman's armor, the Dark Knight let out a growl before furling his cape and charging forward, ending the assault and putting them on the defensive.

Reaching out for the two women, Batman's eyes widened when the two women literally vanished in a puff of smoke. Sliding to a halt as he watched Hush fold his arms and grin wider, Batman bared his teeth in frustration as he heard the sound of footsteps rapidly approach him. Moving his head to the left, Batman's eyes focused on the pair of scissors that just narrowly missed his head and wrapped his hands around the attacking arm. Without even bothering to look at his captured prey, Batman bent the arm across his shoulder and heard a sharp crack, eliciting a cry of pain as he turned around and delivered a backhanded attack that sent the woman flying backwards.

"What do you think of my staff so far, Bruce?" Hush growled as he reached into his coat and pulled out his trademark weapons: a pair of handguns that he quickly fired and forced Batman to take flight and avoid the stream of bullets. "I had Daggett use his deep pockets to help bring them aboard. They were hesitant to reduce themselves to nurses, but when I told them that they were going to help ruin your life, they leapt at the chance."

"Who are these women?" Batman shot back as he landed on the ground where another group of nurses were waiting for him. Two of the women were holding hand saws, while another had a syringe in her hand, no doubt filled with some kind of poison that would leave him to the mercy of his enemy. The woman with the syringe attacked first, causing Batman to deliver a sharp kick to her sternum and send her flying backwards. Thinking that was the end of it, Batman turned around and prepared to deal with the two women...but he didn't anticipate the syringe still flying in the air to come down and plant himself right in the back of his neck, eliciting a roar of pain as the syringe injected its contents into him.

Realizing he didn't have much time before the poison took its deadly effect, Batman backflipped away and quickly opened his utility belt to pull out a purple pill: the "universal antidote" he used to cull the effects of the many poisons used on him until he discovered exactly was it was. As he put the pill in his mouth and swallowed, Batman's mind became a vertigo as the world started spinning around him and his ears filled with noises that couldn't possibly exist. _I...I know this effect, _Batman managed to tell himself through the drug-induced hell he was going through as he instinctively dodged a swipe and delivered a thrusting punch. Feeling his fist connect against flesh, Batman quickly entered his fighting stance and waited for his antidote to take effect. _This is what the League of Assassins use during their training rituals. _

*POW*

"AGH!"

The sound of a million atomic explosions rang through Bruce's ears as blinding pain soared through his arm, with his sight just barely clearing, Bruce relied on his nose and smelled the familiar scent of a freshly-fired gun, and he realized he had been shot by Hush. "You'd be surprised how many of these girls volunteered to work free of charge, even with the money I was offering them, once I told them about my plan. Whatever you did to their leader Talia, it drove them into enough of a frenzy that they'd work for free just so they could get a shot at you..."

"Y-you could have...could have just sent them after me," Batman sputtered out as the smell of perfume entered his nostrils, causing him to turn around and watch the shocked expression of the final nurse's eyes just before Batman sent her flying with a palm thrust to the stomach, knocking the wind out of her and sending her careening away. Landing on the pile of unconscious and groaning women, the nurse lifted her hand one last time before falling over limp, breathing slowly as she fell into a knockout slumber.

Although his sight was returning to a point where he could manage to fight, the effects of the drug were still very much alive in his system. Even the slightest sound of a rat retreating from its disturbed trash home was like nails on a chalkboard, and Hush's gravelly voice was like an avalanche next to his ears. He needed to keep Hush talking, because if Hush concentrated on his aim, he didn't doubt that Hush would kill him easily. "So many people...mutilated," Batman slurred as he just barely dodged a bullet meant for his left eye, weaving to the left only to stumble a bit before standing back up and pulling out a batarang. "You stole their organs...you stole their faces. Why, Hush?"

"To complete my ultimate plan," Hush answered before firing off another spray of bullets from his twin handguns, forcing Batman to duck for cover behind a dumpster and try to keep himself from screaming in agony as the sound of bullets ricocheting against steel battered his unwillingly-heightened senses like cannons going off in his head. "You see, Bruce, from the very day I came to you as Tammany Crux, I've anticipated your every move. I knew as soon as I told you I was running for mayor, you would have tried to stop my campaign."

"And I did," Batman shouted back as the stream of bullets died down, giving him the cue he needed to quickly rise from the dumpster and hurl a batarang at Hush's left hand. This time, Hush didn't have the time to shoot the batarang out of the sky, and it struck his left hand and delivered a deep cut to his glove, drawing blood and forcing him to drop his handgun. With only one gun left, Hush quickly pointed it at Batman and fired, forcing his enemy to duck behind the dumpster again. "I won the election, and now the police have a warrant out for the arrest of Tammany Crux. It's over, Hush...so make it easy for yourself!"

"Hm...hmhmhmhmhm..."

A rumbling chuckle bubbled from Hush's throat, causing him to bounce up and down with quiet laughter. "Hmhmhmhm...what do you think my plan is, Bruce?"

"You were going to use Tammany Crux's reputation as a doctor to step into office, with Daggett funding your campaign," Batman answered as he once again emerged from the dumpster to throw a batarang, only to receive another spray of bullets for his efforts. With one of the bullets breaking off one of the cowl's pointed ears, Bruce quickly ducked back down and tried to keep Hush talking while he pressed a button on his gauntlet to activate his voice recorder. "In return for Daggett giving you the money to get you into office, you would do his dirty work in harvesting the organs needed for his hospital's organ donors program...by taking them from live victims!"

"That's why he let me do it...but Daggett was just a means to an end," Hush replied as he slowly walked over to pick up his other gun. Before he could do so, Batman emerged from the dumpster and prepared to throw his batarang, forcing Hush to abandon that gun and focus on the one still in his hand. Firing off a single round, Hush watched Batman jump from the dumpster to avoid the bullet and then hurl another batarang. Moving his head to the left, Hush narrowly avoided being struck in the head with the weapon, with the blade of it cutting off a piece of his mask of bandages. "Don't you see, Bruce? I wanted you to run for mayor. I wanted you to think that was the prize I was after. I left all of the pieces for you and your misfits...so I could bring you to this alley where the Batman was born."

"To what end, Tommy?" Batman growled. "Is this revenge for ruining your bid for mayor?"

"Actually...hck," Hush cleared his throat before his grin became a chilling smile, and his voice changed completely. "Actually, the end game a little bit more complex than that."

For a moment, the Dark Knight thought that the drug that Hush's nurses gave him was still coursing through his bloodstream, and the sound that he heard was his own imagination. Pointing his remaining gun at Batman, Hush put his opposite hand on the cut he received from the batarang and tugged on the mask of bandages around his face. Ripping and tearing through his disguise, Hush's smile only widened further as he watched what little was showing of Batman's face contort into a look of absolute shock: a true rarity for someone who had seen things that most people didn't believe existed. Giant plants, laser weapons, aliens, even demons: Batman had remained calm in the face of unspeakable terror.

But as the last of the bandages fell to the ground, Batman couldn't help but gawk in disbelief as Hush unveiled himself to him: though his visage contained several scars and stitches, there was no mistaking the strong jaw, black hair, and deep blue eyes of Bruce Wayne. Even the stoic Batman was at a loss for words as his apparent doppelganger cleared his throat and allowed his counterpart to get a good long look at him. "...the faces," Batman finally managed to say. "The reason you needed all of those faces...was so you could piece them together in order to create-"

"In order to create another Bruce Wayne...me," Hush said as his voice stabilized into an almost identical copy of the real Bruce Wayne's voice pattern. "You see, my friend, after our last encounter I realized that I was never going to topple the Wayne family name. There's just too much prestige...too much legacy to unravel. Even if I killed you...which I will, by the way...it'd do nothing more but add to your fame and glory..."

"So instead, you turned yourself into Bruce Wayne," Batman growled, clenching his fists as he held himself back from lunging forward and ripping his doppelganger apart. "From one imposter to another...and now that Bruce Wayne is the city's mayor, you think that you can use your resemblance to step into City Hall where no one is the wiser." Pointing an accusing finger at Hush, Batman kept his enemy speaking so that he could keep the recording going, being mindful not to let him know that he was providing the evidence needed to convict him later. "You won't fool my family, Tommy. Alfred is much smarter than-"

"Omega Epsilon Thomas," Hush interjected, once again leaving his rival shaken. "That's the self-destruct code for the Batcave. And once I'm done with you, I'll use your voice and your password to bring the walls down on your little family. In my Gotham City, there's no place for Batman." With his finger dancing around the trigger, Hush grinned before pulling down. "The Batman was born here...and now he will die here."

*click*

*click click*

Hush's smile disappeared as the harsh reality of him running out of ammo struck him with the weight of a sledgehammer, giving Batman the cue he needed to lunge forward and take him down. Though he was reaching into his coat for another clip, there was no way he would be able to load it in time to stop him. Batman needed to stop Hush, now, and avenge the deaths of his victims that he mutilated and carved up so that he could carry out this mad charade. If there was anything that would convince him that the Tommy Elliot he befriended was gone, it was this final act of insult and betrayal.

Stealing the face of innocent lives just so masquerade as the man who was supposed to be his best friend...

But as Hush removed his hand from his coat, he quickly tossed what was inside at his enemy. _Grenade, _Batman thought with horror as he recognized the dull green ball and the pin that was throw in the opposite direction. Though Hush jumped away as soon as he threw it, Batman was already off the ground sailing forward, and there was nothing he could do to evade it. Pulling his thick cape in front of him, Batman grit his teeth as...

*BOOM!*

"AGH!"

The force of the fiery explosion repelled the airborne Batman and sent him careening away like a thistle in the wind. With his body crashing hard against the dumpster, leaving a thick imprint in his likeness, Bruce roared in pain as all of his senses were overridden with maddening pain. He didn't feel anything broken inside of him, but that was the only realization he could make as he tasted blood and his world spiraled around him. It was a miracle that he was still in one piece...but Batman quickly realized it wouldn't be for long if he didn't get up.

_Get up, _Batman commanded his body as he pried himself off of the dumpster, only to fall flat on his face. _Get up, weakling. You won't lose...you can't lose, especially not to him._

Hush's right hand wrapped around Batman's neck while his newly-reloaded gun pressed against the bridge of his nose. "It might take a week or so after getting into office," Hush hummed with sadistic glee with that voice plagiarized from the man that he intended to make his next victim. "After I destroy the cave and kill your little band of misfits, I'll need to blame it on someone...Catwoman, perhaps. Then after the police hunt her down, I'll arrange for her to be put in the chair. After that...well, after that, Bruce, I'll rest on my laurels and enjoy a nice long term as mayor."

_Head spinning...blood filling my mouth, _Batman thought bitterly as he willed his body into motion one last time as Hush threatened to suffocate him just before blowing his head off and taking his place in the world. _Have to do something...anything!_

Batman's mind went into overdrive and he tried to think of a way out of this situation that seemed to spell certain doom for him...but just when it seemed like defeat was certain, the gun flew out of Hush's hands. At first, Batman thought that Hush was adding insult to injury, but as his eyesight cleared, he noticed that Hush was just as surprised as him. Turning his head to see what Hush was looking at, Batman raised an eyebrow in curiosity as the gun hovered through the air...and gently fell into the hands of one Edward Nygma, whose trademark question-mark tipped cane was glowing blue. Recognizing the glow as the magnet that Riddler had used on Batman many times in the past, Batman asked himself a new question.

Did Riddler just save him, or wished to finish the job himself?

"Now, what do we have here?" Riddler said with a grin of his own as the gun in his hand shifted its aim between his long-time rival Batman and the man impersonating his employer. "I came here hoping to take down the killer surgeon and take credit for solving the case...and instead I find the man who threatened me with violence about to kill the man who's provided me with so much entertainment the past several years."

"Give the gun back, Nygma," Hush growled. "Give it back or I'll hurt you so bad-"

"I'm the one with the gun, you faker," Riddler interrupted as his grin widened, realizing that the lives of two of the men he hated most in the world was now completely in his hands. "But you see, I'm left with a bit of a conundrum. On one hand, I can put an end to the Batman who you've softened up and cement my name in Gotham City as a legend...and on the other hand, I can take revenge against you, you tried to scare me away from my case just as I was about to have you pegged."

"...give the gun back, Nygma, and I'll let you take the credit," Hush said as a confident smirk formed on his face. Keeping his grip tight around Batman's neck, Hush pushed him away from the dumpster and held him so that Batman was now kneeling in front of him, with the killer surgeon's hands wrapped around his neck from behind. "One shot is all it will take: I'll be able to step into office as Bruce Wayne, and create a city where men like us can roam free and the police can do nothing but line up to be killed. And the man who will take credit...will be you. The Riddler, who created one last deathtrap that ended the Dark Knight and his band of misfits. One shot...is all it will take..."

*BANG*

"AGH! DAMN," Hush cursed loudly as Riddler's bullet struck his shoulder, forcing him to let go of Bruce and grip where the bullet lodged into his arm. "You...you're dead, Nygma! Do you hear me!?"

_NOW, _Batman screamed in his head as he rose up and turned to Hush. Dodging his doppelganger's desperate attack, Batman reared back and delivered a right cross directly to his former friend's jaw. The impact was deepest right at the nerve center, and when Hush fell to the ground...he did not get back up. Breathing heavily, Batman turned around and narrowed his eyes to see that Riddler was still pointing the gun in his direction. Now that one of his enemies had been dealt with, Riddler now had a dazed Batman completely at his mercy. He was visibly shaken, and very soon the police would be at the scene to pick him up. The moment of truth was nigh.

"Riddle me this," Riddler said with a grin as he cocked the hammer of the gun. "What melts in your mouth, but not in the ocean?"

"...a lifesaver," Batman growled.

Satisfied with Batman's answer, Riddler turned the gun upside down and placed it on the ground. "And riddle me this, my caped friend," the master of puzzles hummed in delight as he straightened his tie and walked over to where Batman was putting a pair of handcuffs on the defeated Hush. "What is always being paid for, but something you always owe?"

"...I owe you a debt, Nygma," Batman grumbled as the sound of police sirens became louder. Pulling out his grappling hook and aiming into the sky, Batman waited for the police car to pull up and Detective Bullock to step out before pulling into the air and heading for the rooftops. With a smirk forming on his face, Batman allowed Riddler the chance to greet Detective Bullock and explain the situation before warning him. "But don't press your luck."


	11. Epilogue

_"Riddle me this: what do you call a former supervillain that saved his greatest foe and saved Gotham City along with it? Edward Nygma, otherwise known as 'the Ridder', has kept the answer to that riddle to himself as he opened his new office on the East End of Gotham City. Nygma had been intending to open an office separate from the one on the West End for several months, but was unable to provide the funding needed to run two offices at once. Today, Nygma changed all of that by unveiling his new base of operations._

_'This office is a trophy that I will brandish for the rest of my life. Not only did I prove to the Batman that I'm a better detective than him by uncovering Hush's plot to impersonate Bruce Wayne in addition to his involvement in Roland Daggett's illegal organ donor program, I saved his life and now both him and Mayor Wayne owe me a debt of gratitude. This office is but a very small step in the enormous debt that Mayor Wayne owes me for saving his life, his legacy, and his seat in City Hall...but I will accept it graciously, because that's the kind of person I am. What kind of man never leaves you down? Bru-u-u-ce...GAHAHAHAHA!'_

_In an ironic twist of fate, Nygma's new office was given to him by Mayor Wayne, but most of its day-to-day operations when Nygma is off on cases will be performed by Selina Kyle, who has gained a degree of fame as the high-stakes thief and vigilante Catwoman. Since abandoning her life of crime, Kyle has been using the money she has accumulated in her long career to contribute to rebuilding the economically-disadvantaged East End so that it can match the more upscale parts of the city. When Nygma first announced his intention to open an office on the East End, he revealed that the first person he went to was Kyle. At the opening, Kyle had this to say:_

_'As much as Nygma might annoy me, I can admire someone who is willing to push aside the prestige and danger of being a masked criminal if it means leading a legitimate life. It's no secret that I am one of the biggest supporters of both the Batman and Mayor Wayne, and I can respect Nygma for putting aside his vendettas against them to do the right thing. Therefore, I'll help him manage his East End office and acclimate him to the area...but if I detect the slightest hint of deception, or that he's about to revert to type...I'll cut his balls off and stomp on them while he squeals on the floor wondering when the pain will stop. You can count on that!'_

_While working in the East End, Nygma's West End office will be run by his two secretaries, who were former accomplices of Nygma during his criminal career, nicknamed 'Echo' and 'Query.' With Mayor Wayne now officially in office, it would appear that at least in some circles, cops and robbers are working together to create a better, stronger Gotham._

_This is Summer Gleeson, 6 o'clock news."_

* * *

"Can you believe that nonsense? I still haven't forgotten how that maniac tried to kill me with that virtual reality mess."

"Stranger things have happened, Commissioner," Mayor Wayne said with a smirk as he turned off the massive television screen in his office and turned to his guests. "Everything has been shooting by us with such rapidity that even I'm having trouble believing everything that's transpired."

"Same...but I don't think that's a bad thing at all, Mr. Mayor," Gordon formed a grin of his own on his mustached face as he looked around the mayor's office that had housed so many city leaders before Wayne. "You know, ever since I started working in Gotham City, I always hated coming into this office. Everything is so neatly organized with all of this fancy furniture that it's like the mayor completely distances himself from the decadence and garbage that our city chokes on. Most of the time, the mayors are just as bad as the crooks we bring in."

"Hopefully you don't think I'm one of those crooks," Mayor Wayne added as Gordon turned back to him.

"I admit, I had my doubts about you early on," Gordon pulled out his pipe and placed it in his mouth before pulling out a match. Before he could light it, Detective Bullock leaned over with a lighter and lit the pipe for him. Nodding his head in thanks, Gordon turned back to Wayne and took a puff from his pipe and blowing smoke from his nostrils. "You always kept your nose clean, but you didn't really strike me as someone who could run this city until this campaign. I guess you finally got the message that the city needs someone who knows what it's like to be a victim of the problems that keep it from being like Metropolis."

"...can I offer either of you some coffee?" Bruce turned to the steel pot next to his desk.

"No thanks: Bullock and I need to investigate a gang feud that's been going on in the South End. We think that the Joker might be pitting the two sides against one another," Gordon said as he outstretched his hand and offered a handshake to the new mayor of Gotham City. Once Bruce gripped his hand tightly and complied, Gordon gave him the very same comforting smile that he gave Bruce when he was just a simple policeman, comforting a boy that had just lost his parents. "I'm proud of you, Mr. Wayne. You've grown up into a fine man. I didn't know your parents personally, but I can bet that they're smiling down on you right now."

"I'd like to think so, Commissioner," Bruce said with a smile of his own, reminding him of how good of a friend Gordon was, and how much greater that friendship would become now that he could interact with him both as Batman and as Bruce Wayne. "Please come back here 11 o'clock sharp tomorrow morning. I should have a draft of the plans what we we'll need to do to clean up the drug problems in the North End of the city."

"Of course," Gordon nodded his head before releasing the handshake and turning away.

But rather than follow his counterpart out of the building, at least immediately, Bullock continued to give Mayor Wayne the same quizzical look that he had been giving him since they walked in. Unable to shake it off, Bruce finally asked, "Is something wrong, detective?"

"Yeah...yeah, there is," Bullock answered with the same impolite demeanor he always carried around with him. "The Bat was mighty conspicuous in his absence during this whole mess with Daggett and Shush. That entire time you were up on the pulpit preaching how you were going to clean up Gotham and giving all of that 'Never Again' bullplop, the Bat was nowhere to be found. Then as soon as you got elected, the Bat shows up again and takes out Shush."

"...sadly, I am not privy to the movements of Batman," Mayor Wayne replied after a brief pause, wondering what Bullock was leading to. "But I imagine he was hard at work gathering the evidence needed to reveal Hush's deception. Thankfully, he was able to do so before he implemented his plan: I'd prefer not to think about what would have happened if he succeeded in taking my place in society and ran the city."

"Yeah...yeah, that's what I figured," Bullock grumbled before turning to a box of doughnuts next to the coffee pot. Reaching for one of the doughnuts, Bullock shoved it in his mouth before turning away from the new mayor and giving him some parting words with crumbs falling from his lips. "I'm sure we'll be seeing a lot of the Bat now that you're the mayor. When you see him, tell him not to disappear like that without telling us. We were getting worried that someone bumped him off..."

Once Bullock left his office, Bruce found himself alone in what was going to be his new base of operations for the next few years. _The way Bullock spoke to me...is it possible that he figured out my secret?, _Bruce mused as he stepped behind his desk and pressed a small blue button underneath his front drawer. With the sound of quiet whirring buzzing in his ears, Bruce turned to the carpet in the center of the room, which opened to reveal a hidden stairway. Walking over to the stairway, Bruce refocused himself and put his thoughts about Bullock aside. _I'll worry about it later: it's not like I won't be keeping the police close to my circle._

Descending down the stairway, Bruce looked at the florescent lights that quickly flashed on as he descended deeper into the pit, watching the entrance of the staircase close behind him to keep the passage hidden. Gordon was right about the previous mayors of Gotham City making the city's problems worse instead of better, which is why as the years passed, Batman had created this passageway so that he could enter the mayor's office undetected and collect evidence needed to put away certain criminals that had been bribing whatever mayor was in office. Now that it was his turn to sit in City Hall, the passage could now work both ways.

Finally reaching the end of the stairs, Bruce's expression became serious as waiting at the base of the stairs were his closest allies in protecting Gotham City. There was Nightwing, his very first Robin that had outgrown the role and was now a great hero in his own right. There was the current Robin, who had done such a magnificent job that he was considered to be the best to take up the role. There was Spoiler, whose eagerness to fight alongside Robin and repent for the sins of her father made her a valuable ally. There was Batgirl, whose quiet personality and dark aura belied a strong sense of justice and loyalty. There was Oracle, who had become an invaluable asset to their mission even though she could no longer actively participate in fights.

And just arriving from the shadows was Azrael, whose hunger for redemption brought him back into their fold and was finally ready to play his part on the team. "I apologize for my tardiness, sir," Azrael bowed his head before pulling down his hood and unmasking, revealing his long blonde hair. "I was just making sure that the Red Hood left Gotham City without any incident. Troia and Arsenal retrieved him and together, the three of them left via jet. I was told they were going to Los Angeles for a mission...but Troia did not tell me when they would return."

"Jason needs to find his own path, Jean-Paul...and I'm proud of you for putting your grudge aside for the sake of the family. Hopefully, there will come a time when he too can stand here with us," Bruce said with a nod before stepping in front of the group of vigilantes and heroes that he had taken under his wing over the years. "Now that everyone is here, I have no doubt that you all have questions for me as to why my activities as Batman have been so limited. When all of this started, the election was nothing but a means to distract Hush until I had the evidence necessary to bring him down...but as the election raged on, I realized that I had unwittingly created an opportunity to take our mission to new heights."

Batman's proteges listened intently as Bruce turned to the large computer monitor behind him. Reaching into his pocket and pulling out a remote, Bruce activated the computer screen to reveal layers upon layers of text overlapping various pictures and video clips. At the top of the screen were two words in large bold letters: "Operation Powershift." "Powershift," Spoiler read aloud as the text and pictures continued to appear on the screen. "...I like it. Sounds important."

"Extremely important, Stephanie," Bruce said solemnly as he turned back to face the young men and women that had become as much his children as they could have been without being related by blood. "I've been contemplating what would happen if Bruce Wayne became mayor, what would become of the Batman...and now I finally have an answer. This is the opportunity we've been looking for to gather our resources and deliver the decisive blow needed to subdue our enemy and take the biggest step we've ever taken in completing the mission to end crime in Gotham City."

Pressing another button, Bruce stepped to the side to allow another hidden doorway to open in the floor: this one revealing one of the many Batsuits he had developed in his long career as Batman. As he reached for the costume and prepared to suit up, Bruce pointed to the screen one last time before allowing himself a smile. This was a victory, but it was only the first of many he would need to finally fulfill the vow he made in Crime Alley. "There's work to be done, soldiers...now, more than ever."

* * *

_**Author's Note: **__Someone once said that every writer has at least one good Batman story in him, and I've wanted to do a Batman story for quite some time. This might sound strange, but the reason I finally pulled the trigger on this one was because I was QUITE dissatisfied with the Dark Knight Returns. Apart from going on forever and dragging its feet much longer than it should have, it was getting to the point where it was no longer a Batman story. The Batman that I became a fan of so long ago wasn't about violence. What drew me to the Batman mythos was the mystery and intrigue of a masked detective utilizing his mind and deductive reasoning to solve crimes that others could not._

_Therefore, I set out to create a detective story before an action story, because I think Batman is at his best when he is forced to collect clues and evidence because his fists and intimidation factor cannot solve crimes by themselves. Since there are a lot of things I agree and disagree with throughout the many interpretations of Batman, the universe I created is an amalgam of the comics, cartoons, and video games. Doing so allowed me the freedom to create this story, and I'm glad that I can share this story with you._

_I'd like to dedicate this story to __**EvilYardGnome, **__who was a big help in the early steps of fanfiction writing back in 2005 with King of Iron Fist Tournament 6. I learned yesterday that she was the victim of a fatal car crash last May, and the news has cut me rather deep with Tekken Tag Tournament 2 coming out within the next couple of days. _

_With that being said, thanks for tagging along, and be sure to share this story with your friends! _


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